Not What She Expected
by Hendrixson
Summary: Hinata had always loved Naruto. But when her best friend starts to develop feelings for her, will she be forced to make a choice? How will Shikamaru cope when the Kazekage comes to Konoha, and brings a certain troublesome sister?Many more things will happen in this story about love and friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So this story is basically an idea I had, like most stories are. I haven't planned ahead or anything, and I think it'll be interesting to see how it unfolds. I'll also be changing the points of view from time to time. This story is set during Shippuden, sometime before the Pain Arc. I'll obviously be using just about everyone in the Konoha 11, Sand Siblings, and an OC from Suna. You'll see. Please enjoy.**

Disclaimer: It's pretty obvious that I don't own Naruto.

This wasn't the first time Hinata had awoke in Shikamaru's bed. In fact, in the three weeks that she had lived with the lazy ninja, she had only awoken in her own bed twice. Ever since she relinquished the title of heiress to her sister and moved away from the Hyuuga compound, sleepwalking had been a common thing. She'd woken up in Shikamaru's bed three times, once on the bench outside the training field, and even once on Sakura's roof. But these were things Hinata couldn't ponder for too long, she needed to get out of that bed. Before she could tiptoe away, one of Shikamaru's eyes flew open.

"Again?" Shikamaru asked, slowly sitting up in his bed. His hair was down, making him look almost like an entirely different person.

"I-I'm sorry Shikamaru-san." She spoke, looking at the ground. She had made it about halfway out of the room before she woke Shikamaru up.

"You're fine." He said, pulling his hair back into its usual style. "You could make up for it by making breakfast though." He looked at her with a small smile. She nodded and quickly left the room. Shikamaru kind of liked having Hinata as a roommate. She was kind, clean, quiet, and a great cook. He also enjoyed having someone to talk to when he got home. The sleepwalking was a little frustrating, but everyone has their flaws. Besides, if a sleeping Hyuuga in the bathtub every now and then is what it took for him to eat whatever she was cooking, he could definitely cope.

"Where did you learn to cook like this?" Shikamaru asked through a mouthful of cinnamon roll.

"I-I'm not too s-sure." She said. "I've always been o-okay. Do y-you want me to teach you?" She offered awkwardly.

"No, no no no. I'll leave all of that to you." Shikamaru racked his brain trying to change the subject. He made the mistake of cooking once. When he was sure his mother was still alive, he swore he'd never do it again. "Why did you leave the Hyuuga compound?" Shikamaru suddenly asked.

Hinata's immediate response to the question was to almost choke on her breakfast. When she regained composure, she commenced speech. "M-my father didn't think I-I was as good as m-my sister." She said.

"But you could've stayed." Shikamaru told her, setting his food down and focusing completely on the conversation. "You didn't have to leave because your father thinks your sister is better."

"I-I know..." She started slowly. "But I hated it. I couldn't deal with being the lesser anymore. I-I just always felt like a failure. No matter how hard I worked, no matter how hard I trained, I was always just weak. I couldn't do it anymore."

Shikamaru almost felt bad for prying. "Oh. I'm sorry."

Hinata smiled at him. "Don't be... I'm glad I left." Before their conversation could continue, a loud knock at the door captured their attention.

~ Switch ~

Gaara sighed as the meeting dragged on. Once a year, he and a few close advisers traveled to Konohagakure to discuss a large number of topics, ranging between peace between the two villages to the individual ninja themselves. Before the trip though, a large meeting was held between the advisory council to discuss who was going, and how long the Kazekage would be staying. These meetings dragged on for hours, and were unimaginably boring. Kankuro had faked a cold to avoid the meeting, and Temari had to "stay at home to help him." Gaara looked over at his personal assistant Aiko, who was quickly jotting down every word as fast as she could.

"Gaara?" Baki repeated.

"Hmm?" Gaara looked at him. "Please repeat the question."

"How long do you feel you'll need to stay?" Baki repeated sternly.

"Actually," Aiko interjected. "We've already discussed it. Between spouts of Tsunade's drunkenness and anger, it'll probably take about a month to squeeze meetings in. Maybe more."

"Yeah." Gaara said in his usual monotone voice. "What she said. Lady Hokage is not the easiest to conduct meetings with." The meeting continued on for another hour before it finally ended. When It did, Aiko approached him.

"Kazekage, may I have a word?" She asked as everyone filed out.

"You may." He told the girl. He hired her two months before when he was told he needed two personal body guards. So he promoted Kankuro to be his guard, and hired the most qualified Chunin Sunagakure had to offer.

"Well," she started, flipping through the notes she had written during the meeting. "It says you'll be taking four people to Konoha. I assume you'll be taking Temari and Kankuro, and I was wondering who else would be accompanying you."

"Would you like to come?" He asked her. He wanted to make it sound like a great opportunity, but he literally had no one else. Bright green eyes lit up as her jaw hit the floor. She almost struggled to speak, getting choked up by the surprise of the offer.

"Kazekage, I would be honored. Let me pack, I'll be ready soon." And with that, she ran off as fast as she could. Gaara smiled faintly at her enthusiasm. He liked Aiko. She was determined, and courteous. She could hold her own in battle, and despite being a little argumentative and forgetful, she was nice to have around. Gaara sighed, and exited the room.

~ Switch ~

"I'm so glad this mission is over." Neji said, walking through the gates of Konoha.

"Why?" Kiba asked. "It wasn't hard or anything, just your average escort mission."

"Because sometimes, you and Naruto talk too much."

"Hey!" The blond shouted. "Average escort mission is just Ninja talk for boring walk-a-thon."

"Maybe you could just enjoy the peace." The cross Hyuuga responded. "It's nice when we're not in some life-threatening situation."

"He kind of has a point Naruto." Sakura added. She thought it was weird. She remembered when those four were in the academy together, now Neji was the Jonin leading their make-shift team.

"Oh come on!" Kiba and Naruto said in unison. "Why is this such a topic?" Kiba asked as they headed towards the Hokage tower. "Me and Naruto have a civil conversation while we have to escort some helpless soul, and you two complain."

Neji sighed. "There's a difference between a civil conversation, and rambling for two days."

"Sorry to interrupt this particular civil discussion," Sakura started, "but we're here." The four Ninja rushed to Tsunade's office. "Lady Hokage, the mission is complete!" Sakura announced, swinging the door open.

"Shh!" Tsunade said, holding her hand up. "Just give me the report and get the hell out." She was obviously hungover.

"How has she stayed Hokage this long?" Kiba muttered quietly. They walked out quietly, still in silence. Finally, Neji surprised everyone by speaking first.

"So Kiba," he began to ask. "How has Hinata been?" He would never tell Kiba, but sometimes he missed her. He knew that she had what it took to run the clan.

"Huh?" Kiba turned to his superior. "Oh. Uh, yeah. She's fine. Apparently she's having a bit of a sleepwalking problem, but other than that she's coping pretty well at Shikamaru's place.

"Sleepwalking?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. Apparently she's woken up all over the village. Even once on Sakura's roof." He said, nodding to the pink-haired Kunoichi.

"What?" Sakura quickly turned her head at breakneck speeds. "That was Hinata? I've been freaking out about that for days! I've installed a security system and everything! I thought someone was peeking at me!"

"Wonder who'd peek at you Sakura?" Kiba pondered sarcastically, nodding his head at Naruto.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted raising his fist.

"Please." Neji said. "I had to sit through this for two days. At least let me leave before you two act like children."

"Where are you going?" Sakura asked. "We just got back. You should relax."

"I'm a Jonin for a reason. I have to wait for the Kazekage at the gate. I leave the relaxing for the lesser Ninja."

"Ouch." Kiba said in a hurt tone. "On that note, I'm gonna have a super time being a lesser Ninja and relaxing. Bye guys." And with that, he and Akamaru were gone.

"And you wonder why Tenten left you." Sakura said to Neji. Naruto stifled a laugh as Neji shot Sakura the meanest look he'd ever seen.

"It probably wasn't for the same reason Sasuke left you." Neji added with a smirk. Sakura's jaw dropped at the petty jab.

"Hey hey, okay you two." Naruto said, stepping between his two friends. "Let's all just stop with the words and cool off in separate places." The village had stayed intact for a bit now, and the last thing he needed was for Neji and Sakura to destroy it while fighting each other.

Sakura's rage wouldn't let her formulate a response. "I need to go." Neji finally said. He left Sakura and Naruto standing in the middle of the village.

"So..." Naruto attempted to change the subject. "Weather sure is nice, huh?" He asked with a grin.

"Come on!" She shouted, grabbing Naruto by the front of his shirt and pulling him as she ran.

"Where are we going?" Naruto asked as he was dragged along.

"We're going to come up with a plan!" She shouted as she started running faster.

"For what!?" Naruto asked, confused.

"To get Neji back for what he said, duh!" And with that, and an inaudible gulp from Naruto, the two Ninja were gone.

~ Switch ~

"Cut it out!" Kankuro shouted, furiously attempting to free himself from Temari's headlock. "Let me go!"

"You're such a baby!" She teased, finally releasing her brother. "Do you know when that meeting is supposed to end?" She asked, stifling a giggle as her brother readjusted his hood.

"I don't know. Those things last decades." He exaggerated. Almost on cue, Gaara walked through the door.

"Pack. Now." The Kazekage ordered his siblings. He was feeling especially bitter after yet another torture session.

"You know, Gaara, I thought you becoming Kazekage would be nice for me and sis." Kankuro started as he lazily tossed a single sock into his pack. "Now you just get to order us around, and we can't refuse."

Temari giggled. "I'm shocked he doesn't have us feeding him grapes by now." Gaara sighed at their teasing. He was the Kazekage, and he still couldn't get any respect from the two. "You know what you need, Gaara?" Temari continued. "A woman."

"Yeah!" Kankuro joined his sister.

"Oh shut up!" Temari shot a look at Kankuro. "You're not exactly doing good in that department either."

Kankuro pouted sarcastically. "Such a shame, too. Prettiest guy in Suna and can't even find a woman."

"Hey, what about Gaara's new assistant? Aika, I think. She's cute." Temari asked.

"Aiko." Gaara corrected quickly, suddenly paying attention to the conversation.

"Yeah her."

"Aiko's nice, but she's a little..." Kankuro hesitated to come up with the right word.

"A little what?" Gaara asked.

"To put it lightly, forgetful. I asked her to get me some food the other day, and she said sure. I wait for two freakin' hours, and when I go out to find her, I learn that she ate it, completely forgetting about me!"

Temari roared in laughter. "Oh that's the funniest thing I've ever heard."

"Well she has lots of paperwork. And she's my attendant, not yours." Gaara defended her.

Temari gave her little brother a look. "Oh, someone has a cru-" 

"Shut it." Gaara said before she could finish. "We're going to pick her up, then we're going."

"Whoa, I thought it was just us?" Temari asked. Gaara ignored the question as he walked outside.

~ Switch ~

"Come in!" Tsunade shouted, reluctantly acknowledging the knock at her door. A Jonin she had positioned at the gate walked in. 

"The Kazekage is here, Lady Hokage." He informed her.

"Well then what the hell are you waiting for? Show him and his companions to their quarters, and tell him to see me when he's ready."

It didn't feel like that much longer before Kazekage Gaara and his bodyguards walked in. Tsunade stopped herself from sighing at the intrusion. "Kazekage, I informed Genma to show you all to your quarters."

"It seems there's a problem, Tsunade." Gaara told her. "We have four people here, myself, Temari, Kankuro, and my assistant Aiko. It seems, however, we only have two bedrooms."

Tsunade sighed. "Did you inform Genma?" She asked.

"Yes. His response was to see you."

"I mean no disrespect Kazekage." She told him. "We'll have this situation sorted out soon."

Genma slowly opened the door. "Actually, we have a problem. You wanted to have Gaara and his associates to have the nicest rooms possible. But it seems, we're all filled up."

"What!?" She shouted, slamming her fist on the table. "Can't we just kick someone out?"

"I suppose we could, but they'll be upset. Reservations and what not."

"You know, I'm sure some of your shinobi will house two of us." Kankuro offered.

"That's a solution." Temari chimed in.

"Dibs on the second suite." Kankuro added, grinning at his sister.

"Are you fine with this Gaara?" Tsunade asked, relieved by the solution.

"So long as it's fine with Temari and Aiko."

"Great!" The Hokage shouted. "Genma, show Gaara and Kankuro to their rooms. I'll decide momentarily who Temari and this Aiko woman will be staying with.

"Let's go." Genma motioned for the two men to follow him. As soon as the three left, a young woman walked in. Her short brown hair was pushed to one side of her face, the rest pulled behind her in a tight, small bun. Her attire was simple enough. A small tan jacket covered a white button up shirt, which in turn covered a dark long sleeve shirt which seemed just a bit too long. Her headband was tied loosely around her neck, proudly showing the symbol of Suna.

"I assume you're Aiko?" Tsunade asked the girl, looking her from head to toe.

"Yes, Lady Hokage." She said with a small nod.

"Here are the addresses and names of the people you will be living with for your stay here. You may go and make yourself comfortable now." She said, handing slips of paper to the two females.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Temari said with a chuckle as she looked at the name.

~ Switch ~

"W-who could that be" Hinata asked, looking at the door.

"Salesman, maybe? It's kind of early." Shikamaru stood up to answer the door. When it swung open, he was shocked to find a familiar kunoichi on his doorstep.

"Sup, roomie?" Temari asked with a grin. It quickly went away as the door slammed in her face.

**Author's Note: So that's that. I like the way it's going, and I hope you do too. Expect the next chapter sometime within seven days. I'll try to get it out as soon as I can. I edited it to the best of my ability. But if there are any small typos, I apologize. Also, I'm aware that there are different ways to spell Hyuuga. I just prefer Hyuuga over Hyuga, but neither way is really wrong. Sorry if Aiko's description seemed a little forced, I just wanted you guys to know what she looked like. And there isn't really a "main" character, but expect to see Hinata, Kiba, Naruto, Shikamaru, and the Suna crew the most often. Even though we didn't see Kiba this chapter, he's coming. And that's about it. Review if you want to, I do this for fun.**

**- Hendrixson**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: So I noticed, I made a mistake in the author's note of the last chapter. I said, "I know Kiba wasn't in this chapter, but he's coming." When, Kiba actually was in the last chapter. Yeah, sorry for making an ass of myself. Anyway, here's Chapter 2. Please enjoy.**

"Come on, let me in!" Temari shouted, banging on the door with an open hand.

"Sh-Shikamaru-san? W-who's at the door?" The shy Hyuuga asked.

Shikamaru looked as if he saw a ghost when he turned towards her. "No one. No one at all."

Temari was screaming at this point. 'Shikamaru you big-headed son of a bitch, let me in!"

"What do you want?" He shouted back through the closed door.

"Your Hokage says I have to live here." She knew the door was closed, but she smirked anyway. "I have her signature here, if you need proof."

The door cracked, and Shikamaru's head poked out. "Please tell me this is some kind of a sick joke."

"Nope." She replied, shoving the door open the rest of the way. She stopped when she saw Hinata standing there awkwardly. She looked back at Shikamaru, who still hadn't moved away from the door. "Am I interrupting something?" She asked, referencing the pretty girl standing in Shikamaru's house. "I kind of want to make you miserable, but I don't want to interrupt your sexy-times or anything."

Hinata's face turned scarlet. "N-n-n-no, I-I-I-I'm l-l-living h-here. W-with Shikamaru-san. N-no s-s-s-se..." She just couldn't bring herself to say _sexy times._

Temari giggled.

"Hold on." Shikamaru started. "You're traveling with the Kazekage. You should have a suite. Why are you at my house?

"Because there were only two suites available, jackass. Besides, I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this. I'm not _that _bad."

Shikamaru sighed as he collapsed on the couch. "What did I do to deserve this?" He asked no one, burying his face in his hands.

"S-so how long will you be staying w-with us?" Hinata asked, pressing her fingers as she looked at the Suna kunoichi.

"Well, could be a week, could be a few months. It depends on how fast Gaara and Tsunade can get these meetings out of the way."

Shikamaru let out another long sigh. Temari was the most troublesome and confusing woman he knew. They had a past history of missions together, and in that time, he still couldn't figure out if they were friends or enemies. Temari sat beside him, suddenly donning a more serious expression.

"Look, if you seriously don't have enough room here, I can ask to live somewhere else. I just went where I was told."

"No, you can have my bed." He told her. "My room's that way." He extended an index finger towards a closed door.

"Sh-Shikamaru-san?" Hinata slowly raised a hand. "T-Temari-san can have my bed. I-I'll sleep o-on the couch."

"No, really, it's fine." He reassured her. "Isn't that what men are supposed to do?" He then looked at Temari. "You get my room for the month. If you stay longer than that, you can have the couch."

"That's the Shikamaru I know." She said with a smirk.

~ Switch ~

Messy. That's the one word Sakura could use to describe the state of Naruto's small apartment. Food boxes and wrappers were scattered about. Spills of various food and drink stained the carpet. The curtains had fallen long ago, buried under trash, allowing bright light to shine into the room.

"Please tell me this is where you keep the farm animals, and not where you live." Sakura pleaded, turning to the Uzumaki.

"Hey!" He shouted. "It's not that dirty."

"I don't have time to pick on you. We need to brainstorm."

"Brainstorm what?" He asked with a puzzled expression.

"How we're getting Neji back! I've told you a gazillion times!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

"Can't you just let bygones be bygones?" He asked hopefully.

Sakura scoffed. "Of course not. Okay, we're going to need cups, duct tape, water, and a way to get into Neji's room."

"Are you insane? Neji lives in the Hyuuga compound. It'll be impossible to get to his room."

"Shut up, Naruto. We'll think of something." Before they could, a faint knock was heard at the door. "Who could that be?" Sakura asked.

Naruto stood to answer the door. "Hello?" He asked as he swung it open.

"Um, are you Naruto Uzumaki?" An unfamiliar kunoichi asked, holding up a slip of paper.

"That's me."

"It says here I'm supposed to live with you for the time being. I'd much rather live in a fancy suite with the Kazekage and his bodyguards but the rooms were all filled up and me and Temari had to go live with someone else here in Konoha and it says I have to live with you. And now I'm rambling, I'm just going to shut up." She said quickly.

"Uhh..." He attempted to come up with a response. "Come on in?"

"Who's your new friend?" Sakura asked, standing up and staring the newcomer from head to toe.

"I'm not too sure. But she has to live with me."

The girl gasped. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Aiko, assistant to the Kazekage. I'm going to be staying in this residence for the time being. I'm not interrupting anything am I? Because I can leave."

"Hello there Aiko, I'm Sakura Haruno." She introduced herself, extending her arm.

"I'm Aiko. Even though I already said that." She said, shaking Sakura's hand.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Glad to meet you, Aiko." He said with a thumbs up. Aiko stuck out her arm and awkwardly shook Naruto's thumb. "Uhh, well feel free to make yourself comfortable." He said. "Sorry, this place is a little small."

"And filthy." Sakura added.

"No, it's fine." She said, staring at the trash that carpeted the room. "I'll jut pretend they're ironic decorations."

"Anyway Naruto, back to the plan." Sakura said, turning to the blond.

"What plan?" Aiko asked. "Sorry, I'm not trying to pry, I'm just really curious."

"Well, a guy named Neji hurt my feelings. And so me and Naruto are getting him back." Sakura filled her in.

"Can I help? If it's no trouble, I mean." Aiko asked. Sakura's lips turned up into a smile.

"I like her." She told Naruto.

~ Switch ~

Kiba stamped his foot impatiently. He and Hinata were supposed to meet by the training field an hour ago. Their schedules were so that the two never had any free time, and today was the first day in weeks they could hang out. The village was on edge about the Akatsuki, and teams were usually make-shift, hence him doing an escort mission with Sakura, Naruto, and Neji. He was honestly looking forward to seeing his friend again. They hadn't talked since a few days after she moved in with Shikamaru, which was almost three weeks.

"Hey!" Tenten limped out of the training field. "Why are you just standing around."

"I think the more important question is, why the hell are you limping?' He asked.

"Oh, I was focusing more on where my kunai were going, and not where I was running. I just twisted my ankle a little."

"Might want to get that checked out." He told her as Akamaru gave her right leg a sniff. "Anyway, I'm waiting for Hinata. She was supposed to meet me here."

"Oh. Are you two going on a date or something?

"No!" Kiba shouted. "Me and Hinata? Never. We're just good friends."

Tenten smiled. "Oh? Someone's _really _against the idea of dating Hinata. Come on, is she not pretty enough for the great Kiba?" She teased, her smile widening.

Kiba realized the corner he had backed himself into. "No, she's pretty-"

"So you _do _like her?"

"Ah!" He shouted, tossing his arms into the air. "Damn you woman! We're just friends!"

Tenten giggled. "I'm kidding you Kiba. But seriously, you need a girlfriend, pronto."

"Like?"

Tenten sighed as loud as she could. "This is the part where you ask me out, you dummy!"

"Oh. Uh, how about a date sometime, Tenten?" He scratched his head at the completely un-romantic suggestion.

She flashed another smile. "While of course." She pulled out a pen and wrote something on his palm. "That's my address. Come by on Friday." With that, she walked away. She tried to sway her hips, but her limp just made her stumble awkwardly.

"Huh." Kiba said, still staring at his palm. "That was easier than I thought it'd be."

~ Switch ~

"This place is pretty nice." Kankuro said, tossing his bag on the floor. Their suite consisted of a large main room, two bathrooms, a full kitchen staff, and two bedrooms. "I mean, it's not like back home, but still. Pretty nice." Kankuro sat on the large sofa. "So brother, when are we gonna hit the town? Konoha girls are pretty cute."

Gaara turned his head to look at his brother. "I have no interest in doing any activities you consider 'hitting the town.' I'm fairly certain they're all either revolting or illegal."

Kankuro scoffed. "Suit yourself, little brother. But when you hear the sounds of sweet, sweet love coming from my room tonight, you're gonna wi-" Kankuro was cut off when sand filled his mouth.

"Please. Shut. Up."

Kankuro spat out the sand. "Great. Now our living room's gonna be all sandy."

"I'll be back soon." He said, starting towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To check on Aiko." Kankuro gave his brother a puzzled look. "I mean, I need to give her some paperwork."

Kankuro chuckled. "Well you have fun with that."

~ Switch ~

"What time is it, Shikamaru-san?" Hinata asked, suddenly remembering Kiba.

"Uh, half past twelve." He answered.

Hinata shrieked as she flew from the couch. Grabbing her hoodie, she ran towards. She turned to the bewildered pair still sitting. "I-I have to go, now!" And with that, she flew out of the house.

"What the hell was that?" Temari asked, giving Shikamaru a puzzled look.

He simply replied: "Pssh, women."

~ Switch ~

"So, we all know the plan? Sakura asked Naruto and Aiko, who nodded their heads in unison.

"This is so exciting!" Aiko said as she stood. "I've been in Konoha for three hours and I'm already trashing things."

"That's the spirit!" Naruto said with a grin.

"Ready?" Sakura asked. Naruto and Aiko nodded. "Transformation Jutsu!" The pinkette shouted. Suddenly Sakura was gone, Neji Hyuuga standing in her place. "Alright. We don't have too much time, so let's go now.

They traveled to the Hyuuga compound as fast as they could. The last thing Sakura wanted was to run into the real Neji while she looked exactly like him.

"Isn't there a big problem in the plan?" Aiko asked suddenly.

"Like what?" Sakura asked, sounding exactly like she looked.

"Well, if any other Hyuuga uses the Byakugan, won't they find out pretty quick that you're not Neji?"

"That's just a risk we'll have to take."

They arrived at the Hyuuga compound, and got in with no questions asked. The group was surprised by how effortless it was. When they found Neji's room, they got to work. Aiko opened the backpack, which was filled with duct tape, cups, and a few gallons of water.

"Wait!" Sakura shouted. "What if someone walks in?"

"Way ahead of you." Aiko said, sitting on the floor and removing a shoe. She pulled her sock off, opened the door, and slid it over the handle. "There. That should ward off any curious souls."

One by one, they began to duct tape everything in the room to the ceiling. They started with the bigger things, such as the bed and desk, and went on until even pencils and pictures were fastened tightly above the floor. They then started filling cups with water and placing them on the floor, starting at the door and moving all the way back towards the window. When they had finished, the floor was carpeted with cups full of water. When they were satisfied, they exited through the window.

When they returned to Naruto's tiny apartment, they were surprised to find Gaara standing there.

"Gaara!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly. "It's been a while! How have things been?"

"Peachy." He replied with a faint smile at seeing his old friend. "I managed to sneak in the first of many meetings in with the Hokage. I feel accomplished. May I ask, what were you three doing together?"

The three exchanged looks. "They were showing me around Konoha. Were all the great shops were." Aiko lied.

"Yeah. She wouldn't find Ichiraku on her own!" Naruto added.

"She's great company." Sakura chimed in.

"Well, I'll be in Konoha for a while. I'll chat with you two later." He said, pointing at Sakura and Naruto. "Aiko, I was wondering if you'd accompany me for dinner."

"Like a date?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Ah..." Gaara's cheeks began to turn pink. "... I just needed you to take notes."

"At a two person dinner?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Nevermind, forget I said anything." And with that, the Kazekage was gone.

**Author's Note: So that's that. I'll try to get the next one out as soon as I can. Thanks for the follows. I apologize if there were any typos. Hope you enjoyed. **

**- Hendrixson**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Here's Chapter 3, as you can see. My chapters have been kind of short, so I'm going to try and make them longer. Bear with me here, guys. Sorry for the few typos I had, I tried to get the next chapter out soon. Please enjoy.**

"Kiba-kun?" Hinata poked the sleeping figure on the bench. "Kiba-kun, i-it's Hinata."

"Ugh." Kiba grunted. His eyes opened lazily, resting on the Hyuuga who stood before him. "Hey, Hinata-chan!" He said, every bit of grogginess missing from his voice. He leaped from the bench. He hugged her friendlily, excited to be around his friend.

"I'm sorry I'm late." She apologized. "Temari came over. She's going to be staying with Shikamaru-san and I for a bit."

"Don't sweat it, Hinata-chan." He reassured her, looking at his invisible wrist watch. "There's still lots of time in the day."

"What's that?" She asked, pointing at the digits and letters scrawled onto Kiba's palm.

"Oh yeah! How could I forget?" He shoved the palm into her face enthusiastically. "Kiba Inuzuka has a date on Friday!"

"With who?" Her eyes lit up. She had wanted Kiba and Shino to find girlfriends for quite some time. They could never even get as much as a date. Over the years, the three had become very close. They were some of the few people who she didn't stutter around. They were her best friends. She was almost surprised at how much she missed Kiba.

"Tenten." He answered.

"How did that happen?" She asked with a bewildered expression. Kiba and Tenten were fiends, but she didn't know they were that close. _What has he been doing these last few weeks? _She asked herself.

"Uh, long story." He answered. There was no way Kiba wanted to admit that his first date was a little forced.

His answer didn't bring Hinata any clarity. "I'm so happy for you Kiba-kun! You have to tell me how it goes."

"You'll be the first." He grinned. They spent the rest of the day hanging out like they always would. They talked, laughed, ate, and just enjoyed each others company for the first time in weeks. They hadn't realized how much they'd missed each other.

"We need to do this more often." She said as the sky darkened.

"Are you free on Saturday?" Kiba asked. "I don't have any missions or anything. So maybe we could do this again."

"Sure! I'd love too! We could discuss your date."

Kiba's heart skipped a beat. In the time he had spent with Hinata, he had forgotten about his date in two days. "Yeah." He said after a short pause. "I can't wait."

Hinata looked down. "I think this is the part where we go home." She told him sadly.

"Yeah. But hey, we can hang out in three days instead of three weeks." He attempted to cheer her up.

She smiled at her friend. "Yeah. Bye Kiba-kun." And with that, they went their separate ways.

Kiba grinned the whole way home. He had what could've been one of the best days of his life. Date with Tenten, day spent with one of his best friends. He couldn't think of anything better that could happen.

Hinata had a matching expression as she walked through the door. She was greeted by a smiling Temari. "Hey sexy. How was your date?" She asked, her smile getting bigger with each word.

Hinata's face turned a vibrant shade of red. "I-I-I w-wasn't on a-a d-d-date." She managed to stutter out.

Temari laughed as loud as she could. "Oh, that was priceless."

Shikamaru sighed. "Just ignore her, Hinata. She's picking on you."

"Oh." Hinata squeaked.

"Seriously though." Shikamaru turned to her while washing dishes. "How was your night?"

"Wonderful." She told him. "Kiba's going on a date Friday night."

"Another date?" Temari continued teasing. "One more and you know what that means." Hinata started reddening again, much to Temari's amusement.

"Kiba? On a date?" Shikamaru gave Hinata a bewildered look.

She nodded. "Yeah. With Tenten, of all people."

"That's... Interesting." Shikamaru said.

"This is so unfair!" Temari stomped her foot. "I barely know these people!"

"M-maybe you should m-meet them." Hinata told her.

"I might, I might. Picking on Shikamaru gets a little dull after the first few days. Besides, I'm gonna be here a while." Temari actually gave introducing herself to people a consideration.

"That'd be a great idea, if you were able to make friends." Shikamaru told her, rinsing his hands at the sink.

"Shut it, Nara." Hinata almost detected a faint smile on her face.

~ Switch ~

Gaara quickly fled Naruto's apartment, his cheeks burning. _"_What were you _thinking?"_ He asked himself. A hand grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around.

"Hey." A blushing Aiko said. "Sorry about that, I wasn't really thinking. I just said the first thing that came to mind, like I always do. Whoop, there I go again, silly me. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I would love to take some dinner notes for you."

Gaara quickly tried to come up with a response. "I, uh." He cleared his throat. "How does Saturday sound?" He finally asked.

"It's a date!" Aiko suddenly went pale. "I mean, not a date! It's a, uh, it's a note-taking session! Over food on Saturday. Nope, no dates here. Unless you want it to be a date. Because if you do, then it is. But if you don't, it's not. I... I'm gonna stop talking now. Yep, that's what I'm gonna do." They stared at each other, blushing, for what felt like an eternity. Finally, Gaara spoke.

"Yeah. Saturday. I'll send someone to inform you on the details." And with that, he briskly walked away. When Aiko returned, she was confronted by a gawking Sakura and grinning Naruto.

"Do you realize what you just did?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. I just finalized a note-taking session over dinner on a Saturday night." Aiko answered blatantly.

"No! You just finalized a _date _with the _Kazekage!_"

"No, he said it wasn't a date."

"Oh, it's a date!" Naruto threw in.

"No it's not."

"Look, Aiko." Sakura said, grabbing the girls shoulders. "This is a date. You're about to date the Kazekage. He said it wasn't a date, because he's nervous. But it's a date. Understand?"

Aiko nodded quickly. "Um, can you please let me go? You're really strong, and my arms hurt now."

Sakura released her. "Okay, we have three days to get you ready. You need a dress, you need to get your hair done, we have lots of things to do. We start in the morning." The pinkette turned towards Naruto. "I'm staying here for the night. I'm sleeping in your bed. You can have the floor." Naruto nodded at her demands.

Aiko gasped. "Holy cow, I'm going on a date with the Kazekage, aren't I?!" She suddenly realized.

"Yes! You get it!" Sakura shrieked.

Aiko suddenly pulled Sakura into a hug. "Please help me. I have no idea what I'm doing." She whispered into the pinkette's ear.

Sakura hugged her tightly. "Don't worry, sweetie. Sakura's gonna help you. Because if you screw up, you might get fired."

Naruto was so transfixed on the tight embrace the two kunoichi shared, he almost didn't notice as the blood began to stream out of his nose.

"You perv!" Sakura screamed when she noticed.

"Please Sakura, don't-" He was cut off when a fist slammed into his stomach.

~ Switch ~

Two days later, Tenten was at the training field with her ex-boyfriend. It wasn't her choice, Neji Hyuuga was the last man she wanted anything to do with. She had dumped him two weeks before, after months of sexless neglection. He then got very upset with her, and they hadn't spoken since.

"Hey jackass." She finally said, throwing a kunai aimed at his face.

He effortlessly knocked it away. "Yes?"

"Guess who's got a date tonight?" She smirked at him, dodging the incoming palm strike. Wind rushed past her face as she dodged another. If one of them hit her, she was going to feel it.

"What am I supposed to care?" He asked. He ducked under a well placed kick, and charged forward for another strike. She spun around his palm, her smirk clearly visible despite the intense sparring match.

"It's with Kiba Inuzuka. You know, Hinata's handsome teammate?"

"I've literally never seen you two speak to each other before now. This is obviously your petty attempt to offend me. You're acting childish, Tenten, as always." He swung his head back as a shuriken rushed past his face.

"So? In the few short conversations we had, he payed more attention to me then you ever did in our entire relationship."

Neji scoffed. "Oh, that doesn't come as a surprise. The Inuzuka are used to dealing with dogs, are they not?" Tenten paused at the insult, giving Neji enough time to hit her in the sternum as hard as he could. She gasped as the impact knocked all the air from her lungs. "Do try to have fun dear." He said. With that, he turned and walked away.

~ Switch ~

"You look beautiful!" Sakura exclaimed, admiring what she had done for her new friend. Aiko was dressed in what she would be wearing the next night, and she was stunning.

"Wow, Aiko! You look amazing!" Naruto complimented her. He was a little worried Sakura might go overboard, but he had to admit, she looked gorgeous.

Sakura started with the hair. She released it from its usual tight bun, and let it hang loosely by her neck, curling it just enough to give it that 'wavy' look. Her eyelashes were coated in dark mascara, "making them pop" as Sakura so eloquently put it before she told Naruto to go away and let her finish. Dark purple rested on her lash line, getting ever so lighter as it neared the brow, going from medium violet to lavender in a matter of centimeters. Purple usually wasn't something Sakura used often, but it looked great with Aiko's jade colored eyes. Light pink blush fairly coated her cheeks, not at all taking away from her natural pale skin. Rather than smearing her lips with lipstick, Sakura added a similarly pink shiny lip gloss. Once the make-up was done, it was all about the dress. Sakura chose a purple one shoulder backless evening gown. It was cut low, but not low enough to show cleavage, leaving much for the mind to wonder. Dazzling silver beads littered the front and edges, adding to the overall "hey Gaara, look at me" style that Sakura was aiming for. The slit in the front started at the bottom and ended at the mid-thigh, looking flirtatious, but not slutty. It clinged to her tightly enough to show her form, but it was loose enough to be considered comfortable. It was quite literally, a perfect dress.

"Thanks guys." She said, admiring herself in the small hand mirror Sakura handed her.

"How do you feel?" Sakura asked.

"Pretty." She answered, still staring in the mirror. She turned to Sakura. "I'll look exactly like this tomorrow, right?"

"Of course, if not better. I just wanted your approval."

"I love it! I mean, me. I mean, the way I look. Not trying to sound stuck-up! I mean..." She sighed as she tried to show her thanks. "I really like the way you made me look. There."

Sakura giggled.

"So are you excited?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know." Aiko answered. "I've never really been on a date before. This is all really new to me."

"Don't sweat it!" Naruto started. "I'm sure if you be yourself, you'll do great. He obviously likes you for being you. I'm sure you'll do fine, Aiko. Believe it!"

"For once, Naruto's right. You're gonna knock his socks off."

Aiko smiled at her two new friends. "You guys are the best." She again looked at the small mirror. "Watch out Kazekage, here I come!"

"Well ladies, I'll leave the rest of this dating stuff to you." Naruto said, grabbing his froggy wallet. "I'm gonna go get some Ichiraku." And with that, the blond exited the small, slightly more hygienic apartment. He had known Aiko for two days, and she was already one of his friends. He desperately hoped her date with Gaara went well. He was happy for the both of them. He thought back to how pretty Aiko looked. _Wonder if a girl will ever dress up like that for me?_ He silently wondered to himself. He quickly pushed the thought away and continued in the direction of the best ramen shop in the world.

"Hey!" Teuchi shouted as his favorite customer strolled in.

"I'll have the regular!" Naruto shouted with a grin. He took in the scents of Ichiraku with the same happy expression. This was one of his favorite places in the world, no doubt. He plopped down into the one available stool, paying less attention to who he sat near and more on the delicious ramen that was being prepared.

"N-Naruto-kun?" A familiar voice spoke. He turned his head to look at a blushing Hinata Hyuuga, who had dropped her chopsticks upon seeing her crush.

"Oh hey Hinata-chan!" He said with the same trademark Uzumaki grin. "You're not here often. What brings you here?"

"I-I was h-hungry, and I-I remember you t-talking about this p-place." She answered him quietly.

"Oh. You should come here more often, this place is great!" He said as his bowl was placed in front of him. He began shoveling the stuff into his mouth while the shy girl tried to formulate a response.

"M-maybe." She said, eating at a much slower pace. "It's delicious."

"Haha, glad you think so, Hinata-chan!" He said between mouthfuls. He finally took a small break to turn to the girl. "How have you been lately?" He asked. "I haven't seen you around."

She too set her chopsticks down as she hesitantly turned to the blond. "I've b-been very busy." She admitted. "I-I've had lots of m-missions. I-I moved in w-with Shikamaru-san too. Then Temari from Sunagakure moved in." She smiled politely at him, trying her hardest not to turn red. "A-and yourself?" She asked.

"Oh boy. Lately, Sakura and Aiko have been driving me nuts about make-up, dresses, hair, and all those other girly things."

"W=who's Aiko?" She asked with a puzzled expression.

"Oh, just some pretty girl from Suna. She came when the Sand Siblings did."

_Pretty? _Hinata asked herself.

"She's really nice too." Naruto added.

_Nice? _Hinata gulped. "S-she sounds f-fantastic, N-Naruto-kun." She managed.

"Eh, she's alright I suppose. She's going on a date with the Kazekage tomorrow night." Hinata sighed a sigh of relief at the news that Naruto wasn't romantically involved with this girl. "On top of that, I've been thrown a bunch of missions too. I just got back from this lame escort mission with Sakura, Neji, and Kiba."

"How's Neji been?" Hinata asked.

"He's still got that stick up his ass." Naruto told her.

Hinata couldn't help what came out next. "More like a tree..." As soon as the words left her lips, she immediately turned scarlet. Naruto roared in laughter, causing everyone else to stare. "P-please tell no one I-I said that." She pleaded.

"I won't." He barely said while trying to catch his breath. "He's been really upset since Tenten left him." Naruto added.

"S-speaking of Tenten, I have a-a little piece of gossip." She said a little quietly.

"Hinata-chan, you gossip?" Naruto asked with a smile.

"N-no!" She began to redden again. "I-I just heard it and f-figured I'd t-tell you."

"What is it?"

"Kiba-kun is going on a date with Tenten tonight." She said in a hushed whisper.

"Really? I never would've figured those two would go out."

"Me neither!" Hinata squeaked. "I'm talking to Kiba-kun tomorrow, I can tell you how it goes."

"Of course!" Naruto exclaimed. "We should meet back here on Sunday."

Hinata smiled widely, until she realized it was almost like a date. Before she could confirm, she fainted.

"Hinata-chan?" Naruto poked her with his index finger. He sighed as he abandoned his meal to carry the unconscious Hyuuga home.

~ Switch ~

Kiba walked alone down the street, nothing but a rose in his hand. He had never been on a date, but figured a rose would be something nice to give her. He had even left Akamaru with his sister Hana, hoping the dog would behave himself. Kiba had thought of every way the night could end horribly, and was doing all he could to prevent it. He had bathed three times that day. The last thing he wanted was to smell like dog on his first date. Kiba wasn't usually nervous guy, but he was a little worried as he knocked at the door of the address he was given. Tenten answered the door, quickly inviting the Inuzuka inside.

"You came!" She said, sitting on the couch. "I almost expected you not to." 

"Me?" Kiba asked, putting on a fake puzzled expression. "Never. I got you this. Ino told me something about a single rose being romantic or something." He said, extending his arm to hand Tenten the flower.

"Aww, thanks!" Tenten said as she took the flower. "It's beautiful. Let me put it in some water. I think that's what you do with flowers. Sorry, I don't know too much about these things." She admitted as she set the plant in a glass.

"That makes two of us." He admitted.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Tenten strutted out of the kitchen. "Look, my ankle's all better!" She began to jump up and down, showing her stable balance. Kiba struggled not to stare at her chest while she bounced.

"Awesome." Was his simple reply.

"So." Tenten started. "Is it safe to break out the sake, or are we just gonna chit-chat?" She asked with a smile.

"Of course, please!" Kiba said. Sure, they were _technically_ underage, but who was gonna find out?

"There you go." Said the kunoichi, handing Kiba a glass.

"Thanks. So how have you been since we last talked?" He asked, trying to fit in as much conversation as he could.

"Just peachy." She answered. "I've been a little busy, but who hasn't?"

"I hear you there." Kiba said. "I've gotten more missions these past few months than I ever have."

"Hey, have you told anyone we were meeting tonight?" She asked.

"Only one person." Kiba admitted. "Hinata. But she won't tell."

"I told Neji." She said with a smile as she sipped her sake.

"That's gold!" Kiba said with a laugh. Kiba had never ever liked Neji, Not after the Chunin Exams. "He was pissed, wasn't he?" He asked with a grin.

"Oh yeah, big time." She said as she took another sip. She lifted her shirt to show the large bruise that had formed on her ribs. "He got that mad."

Kiba leaned forward to examine the wound. "I can kick his ass, if you'd like." He offered.

"I'm a ninja, I can look after myself. Besides, we were just sparring. I let my guard down."

"Well if you hear Neji accidentally got attacked by a dog, you'll know it wasn't me."

Tenten giggled at the joke, her drink starting to kick in. "This is good isn't it?" She asked, taking another drink.

"Yeah." Kiba answered. He hadn't even finished half of what she had. "Maybe you should slow down though."

"Nah." She said, taking yet another drink. Kiba leaned forward, taking the glass from her.

"I think that's enough, Tenten. We don't want you to get sick." He tried to lean back, but she pulled him close again.

"You're cute." She told him. The next thing he knew, they were kissing. She pulled him on top of her as they continued. She began to remove her shirt, when Kiba suddenly jerked away.

"I can't do this, Tenten." He said.

"What? Why?" She asked, sitting up.

Kiba sighed. He was about to tell her something he'd kept to himself for years. "Because..." He almost couldn't finish.

"Why, Kiba?" Tenten asked, a little more calmly this time.

"Because I'm in love with Hinata."

**Author's Note: Sorry for that cliffhanger ending. I want to keep you guys hooked though. This is my favorite Chapter so far, and I hoped you all enjoyed it. Sorry if I'm making Neji seem like a super-douche. He just needs to seem that way for now. He might calm down a bit in the future. Also, sorry if I went overboard with the Aiko description. I had this image in my head, and I desperately wanted you guys to know what it was. The dress Aiko's wearing is real. If you want to see it, let me know and I can leave a link in the next chapter. Also, I'd like to thank ****LesMislover2013**** for all the continued support. Sorry if I had any typos, and I'll try to get the next one out as soon as possible. Thanks for reading.**

**- Hendrixson**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Here's the next chapter, obviously, because you're reading it. I hope you enjoy. **

"I almost don't even know what to say." Tenten finally replied after a long silence. "How long have you known?"

"Since we were put on the same team." He answered her reluctantly, almost chuckling at how stupid his answer sounded.

"Then why did you come here, if you knew Hinata was the girl you wanted to be with?" She asked curiously.

"I just... Thought that maybe if I came here, spent the night with a beautiful girl like you, maybe I could get over her." Kiba stomped his foot. "This just isn't me! I'm not that romantic guy, I shouldn't be like this! I'm an Inuzuka, instinct over emotion, that's me!"

"What, you're too good for feelings?" She joked. Realizing how rude she sounded, she scooted a little closer and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Why did you wait this long to tell anyone?" She asked.

"Because." He growled. "She loves Naruto, and he doesn't even know it. I'm just the after thought."

"Oh I doubt you're an after thought, Kiba. You're her best friend."

"Yeah, well apparently that's all I'll ever be." He grimaced.

"Hey." She said, making the Inuzuka turn his head to stare at her. "You're funny, Kiba. You're sweet, you're a good guy. And you're cute." She looked him up and down. "If you hadn't interrupted me, I was gonna..." She stopped as his eyes widened. "Oh. I forgot, captain virgin over here."

"Hey!" He shouted, bearing a smile at her tease. "You said it yourself, I was about to get some!"

"Oh, you're still gonna get some." His eyes continued to grow as he scooted away a few inches. "Some of that Hyuuga, that is."

"What?" He asked suddenly.

"Oh yeah. The reason I'm not getting laid is because you love Hinata. So I'll be damned if you don't get the girl you want."

"You're talking about it as if it's some poorly written romance story. She loves Naruto."

"Kiba, a long time ago, I loved this cat." Kiba growled at the mention of the feline. "Well one day, this cat attacked me. After that, I didn't love it anymore."

"Other than to make me sick with all this cat talk, what's your point?"

"My point is, Hinata loves you. Somewhere in her pretty little head, there's a tiny spark of love for Kiba Inuzuka. We just need to turn that spark into a blaze." Tenten grinned.

"What do you mean she already loves me?"

"Alright, have you ever hugged for longer than ten seconds?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"Shut it!" She interrupted. "Has she ever cried in front of you?"

"Well of course, but so have lots of other people."

"Does she call you Kiba-kun, and want you to call her Hinata-chan?"

"Yeah." Kiba didn't know what Tenten was getting at with this questionnaire.

"Do you tell each other secrets? Does she hate being away from you? Does she call you her best friend?" Tenten began to speed up the questions.

"Yes, yes, and yes."

"Does she ever tease you? Is she uncomfortable when you get close to her?" She asked, realizing that Hinata might actually be into Kiba.

"Yeah, we tease each other all the time. It's just joking. And besides, I tease Shino. Doesn't mean I love him. And we're comfortable together. So?"

"Kiba, if you don't realize that she's at least _kind of_ into you, you're an idiot."

Kiba glared at her. "Yeah? And how do you know any of this means she likes me? You don't know her like I do!" He began to stiffen.

Tenten sighed. "Because I'm a girl! I know these things! You know what? Fine! I don't care!" Her eyes flashed in frustration. "If you really don't want my help, then that's fine. But you better be _very _comfortable with the image of Hinata and Naruto passionately kissing because _you _were too afraid to tell her how you feel."

Kiba growled at the scowling girl who sat in-front of him. He thought about what she said. _I'm getting nowhere._ He told himself bitterly. He began to relax. "I'm sorry, Tenten, you're probably right. If I don't do something now, I never will. I want your help, I'll do whatever. Just so long as it doesn't hurt Hinata."

Tenten flashed him a smile. "That's what I wanted to hear! When's the next time you'll be hanging out?"

"Tomorrow. We're going to discuss how our date went."

"Okay, step one, don't tell her what really happened. That should be pretty obvious."

"Yeah. Anything else?" He asked, almost impatiently.

"Okay, first thing you want to do is tell her that it went great. Tell her that we kissed a little. Then, tell her that you were joking, and that it didn't go so great."

"Is there a method to your madness?"

"When you do this, watch her body language. After that, just hang out like you normally would. Make sure you set a date for you to hang out in the near future, too." She said.

"Tell her it went great. Watch her body. Tell her it wasn't great, watch her body again. This makes no sense, but you got it."

"Alright, you got it. Come back tomorrow night. We can discuss it further."

"Alright, well I have to go now. Thanks, Tenten. I don't know how I could repay you." He got up to leave. When he got to the door, a hand spun him around. Tenten pulled him into one more tight kiss.

"Like that, handsome."

"Please never do that again." And with that, he left.

~ Switch ~

"Wake up, Sexy." A voice ordered. Hinata sat up, suddenly in her bed. Temari stood in front of her, smiling at the finally woken Hyuuga.

"W-what happened?" She asked. The last thing she remembered, Naruto had told her to meet him on Sunday.

"Well, that Uzumaki kid came carrying you in his arms. He tucked you in and everything. It was pretty romantic."

Hinata blushed a bright shade of red. "H-h-he w-w-w-hat?" She barely stuttered out.

"Naruto carried you to bed. Said something about you fainting over ramen, and he carried you home. He then gently placed you in bed, set your head on a pillow, and covered you up with a blanket. That's literally the simplest way I can put it." She said with her arms crossed.

"I-I-I-I..." Hinata tried to say something, but simply couldn't.

"Wait..." Temari thought for a moment. Her green eyes lit up as they locked onto Hinata's. "You've got the hots for that little brat, don't you?" Temari thought that if she turned any redder, she just might explode. Hinata just stared, dumbfounded at Temari's deduction. "Hey Sexy, everyone has a crush. I won't tell. I just want to know if it's true." Hinata wasn't very fond of the nickname 'Sexy', which is exactly why Temari kept calling her that.

"Um..." Hinata tried to think of a clever way she could back out of this, but nothing came. "I-I m-m-m..." Hinata desperately tried to answer the question. "Y-y-yes. M-m-maybe I like N-Naruto-kun a little." Hinata immediately regretted her answer when she saw Temari's large smile.

"Aww!" Temari hugged Hinata. "My little Sexy is growing up! Pretty soon you'll be staggering home smelling of booze and vomit."

"T-t-t-that s-sounds terrible." Hinata stuttered.

"So how long have you liked him?" Temari asked unexpectedly.

"F-f-f-for y-years." She admitted. "H-h-he doesn't k-know a-about it, though. H-he doesn't like m-me like that."

Temari actually felt pity for the younger girl. "He will one day, Sexy. Come on, I have somewhere I want to take you."

"B-but i-it's so late." Hinata reminded her, pointing to the digital clock that rested on her nightstand. _9:27 _Read the numbers.

"Exactly." Temari said with a smile as she pulled the Hyuuga to her feet. "Grab your coat, we're leaving now." They hurried out of the room.

"Ladies?" Shikamaru asked with a raised eyebrow. "What's the hurry?"

"Drinks." She answered him, her smile never wavering.

"W-what?" Hinata asked suddenly. "I-I've never d-d-drank a-alcohol before." She admitted.

"Then think of it as an adventure, Sexy." Temari turned to Shikamaru. "Want to come?"

"A relaxing drink sounds nice. But around you it wouldn't be relaxing, or nice." He teased with a faint smile. "Besides, it's bed time. Have fun, ladies." He shuffled to his bedroom, leaving a pleading Hinata to be dragged away.

"T-T-Temari, I-I'm not sure I l-like the idea of m-m-me drinking." Hinata said quietly as they traveled to the bar.

"So? You don't have to like the idea of it, you just have to like the taste." They turned a corner, and Hinata froze in her tracks. "What's the hold-up, Sexy?" Temari turned to see a face she almost recognized.

"Hinata-chan?" Kiba asked, staring at the blushing Hyuuga with a bewildered expression.

"H-H-Hi, K-K-Kiba-kun..." She said, staring at the ground.

"Oh, hey! That's your other boyfriend, isn't it?" Temari asked. Hinata's red face was enough to answer her question.

"P-please don't believe a-anything she says, Kiba-kun." Hinata pleaded.

"What are you guys doing?" A blushing Kiba asked.

"I'm about to get your pretty little friend here drunk." Temari said with a grin.

Kiba smiled at the thought of Hinata drinking. "On any other day, I'd kill to see that. But I need to head home. Have fun, Hinata-chan. See you tomorrow."

After a few minutes, the duo had arrived at their destination. Hinata was expecting a terrible smell, crowded atmosphere, and loud music. When Temari opened the door, she was pleasantly surprised. Instead of the vomit she expected to smell, she was greeted by the aroma of delicious food being prepared. Peaceful music filled the air. Once they had walked farther in, she could see that everyone was in their own little groups. There was plenty of room to move around, and plenty of places to sit.

"T-this actually i-isn't so bad." Hinata admitted. Temari turned to her, holding a glass of funny colored liquid.

"Drink up, Sexy." Hinata brought the drink to her lips, sipping it slowly.

"Wow!" She squeaked, taking another sip. "This isn't sake, is it?" She asked without a stutter.

"Nope. It's Shinshū Wine. Good, huh?"

"Amazing!" She took another sip.

"I told you you'd like it." Temari reminded her with a smile. "For being all shy and what-not, you're stubborn."

"S-sorry." Hinata apologized.

"Bah. I couldn't stay mad at you, Sexy." Temari grinned at the younger girl. "So." Temari said, setting her drink down. "You have a lot of handsome friends, huh Sexy?" Hinata blushed, as Temari expected.

"S-some of t-them are c-cute, I-I suppose."

"Okay. If you had to pick two, who would you say are your two best looking friends?"

Without skipping a beat, Hinata answered. "Naruto and Kiba." Hinata gasped, realizing what she just said. "I mean... I-I... Uh..."

"That's all I wanted to know, Sexy." Temari smirked. Temari had a feeling Hinata was into more than one guy. All this did was prove it. They spent the rest of the night chatting and drinking, and left a few hours later. Much to Temari's dismay, Hinata wasn't drunk. But it was definitely a start.

~ Switch ~

"Today's the day!" A cheery Sakura shouted, throwing open Naruto's door early in the morning. Much to her dismay, neither Aiko nor Naruto awoke to greet her. "Wake up, Aiko!" She shook the sleeping girl violently, much to no avail. "Ugh!" She stomped her foot.

"Ahh!" A drowsy Aiko squealed when Sakura flipped the couch over.

"Wake up! You've got a date with the Kazekage tonight! I've got to get you ready!" Aiko slowly stood and brushed herself off.

"Right." She nodded. "Ready when you are."

"Then you would've been ready two hours ago." Sakura joked. "You better be ready, Aiko."

"I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm ready." She kept repeating this as Sakura continued to do her hair and make-up.

Sakura sighed. She really hoped Aiko wasn't lying to herself.

~ Switch ~

The early November weather chilled Kiba as he and Akamaru waited outside for Hinata. He had repeated what Tenten told him a hundred times. _Tell her it went great. Watch her body. Tell her it wasn't great, watch her body again. Tell her it went great. Watch her body. Tell her it wasn't great, watch her body again. _He said to himself as he paced impatiently. After what felt like hours, Hinata finally emerged from the house. Akamaru barked at the Hyuuga.

"Kiba-kun!" She shouted, hurrying over to her friend. "How did things with Tenten go?" She asked, jumping straight into the topic.

"It went great!" He told her with a wide smile. "We drank, we talked, I had a blast." He stared her up and down, but didn't notice any changes. "She's an amazing kisser, too." Apparently, that did it. It was almost as if someone stuck a knife in the Hyuuga's back. Every muscle in her body stiffened, and her eyes grew wide. _Tenten was right! _Kiba told himself happily.

Hinata forced her lips into a smile. "G-great kisser? Sounds like things went great, Kiba-kun."

Kiba let out a fake sigh. "Actually, that was a giant lie. It didn't really go to well. I guess things just didn't click between us." As if nothing happened, Hinata loosened. Kiba took mental notes of what had happened, just as Tenten had told him.

"Aww, I'm sorry Kiba-kun!" She said, her small smile seeming a bit more real. She hugged him suddenly. "Hey." She started upon releasing him. "Maybe some Barbecue will make it all better."

"Damn right it will." He said, motioning for them to leave. "How was your trip with Temari? You looked super un-enthused."

"Surprisingly well!' She told him. "The food was delicious, the people were nice, and Temari even found alcohol that I liked!"

"Sounds like a blast, Hinata-chan!" He told her, the three walking in the direction of the restaurant. Most places let Akamaru come inside, since he was technically a ninja. "Maybe you should show me sometime."

"Of course! Whenever you're free again. Just not tomorrow, I'm meeting Naruto-kun for ramen." Kiba cringed at that last line. He froze in place, gritting his teeth together. "Are you okay?" She asked, stopping to look at the frozen Inuzuka.

"Yeah. Just thought I smelled something. Let's keep going."

"Are you sad about the Tenten thing?" She asked suddenly.

"I'll get over it. Besides, I've got you, Shino, and Akamaru." He told her.

"You'll find a girl one day." She told him.

He stared at the beautiful girl next to him. "Yeah. Yeah I will." They finally got to the restaurant, stomachs growling in unison.

"I'm so hungry." Kiba finally said after they had ordered their food. "I haven't tried the pork here. I'm sure it's amazing."

"You can try a bite if you want." She offered.

Kiba laughed. "We could do what they do in those cheesy romance novels and feed each other."

Hinata giggled. "Share dessert."

"Lock arms as we sip our wine." They spent the next ten minutes joking about all of the cheesy things they could do over dinner.

"You should've ordered for me!" She exclaimed, laughing. "That's one we missed."

"Too late for that one." He said between bites of steak. "Next time, though."

"Oh definitely." She laughed.

"The night's still young." Kiba said as they left the restaurant. "Anything else you want to do?"

"Actually Kiba-kun, there is." She said, donning an out of character mischievous grin.

"What's that?" He asked, a puzzled expression crossing his face.

"Come on." She grabbed his hand as they ran.

"Hey! Where are we going?" He asked her as they bolted across the village. She ignored him. When they finally stopped, they were at a small food market.

"Wait here." She ordered as she went inside. When she came out, she carefully carried a sack.

"What's in there, Hinata-chan?" He asked.

"Eggs." She smiled.

"And why do you have a sack full of eggs?" He asked, his puzzled look returning.

"Because. We're going to toss them at Tenten's house."

"What?" Kiba shouted. "Why?"

"Because she was stupid enough to turn down Kiba Inuzuka, that's why. Now stop talking and let's hurry." They finally arrived at Tenten's small house as the sun finally disappeared. Hinata lifted an egg from the sack, and tossed it at the building. It hit the door, splattering egg all over the surface. Hinata laughed at the impact. "You're turn." She said, turning to Kiba. Not wanting to be outdone, Kiba launched an egg. It splattered off of the window. They kept it up until the sack was empty, quickly fleeing the area when it was. "Feel better?" Hinata asked when they were finally a short distance away.

"Yeah. Way better. Thanks, Hinata."

Suddenly, Hinata sighed. "It's so late. My house is on the other side of Konoha."

"You know, there is a faster way you could get home." Kiba told her.

"What's that?" She asked. Kiba suddenly hopped onto Akamaru. The large dog looked up at her.

"Hop on." Hinata complied, sitting directly behind Kiba. "Hold on tight, it's a kind of bumpy method of travel." She nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding on tightly. "Alright Akamaru, let's go to Shikamaru's house! Kiba kicked his feet off of the dogs sides, and Akamaru took off.

"Ahh!" She shouted as the dog ran. She held on tighter as Akamaru sped up. She pressed her head against Kiba's back and closed her eyes as the large ninken bulleted down the streets of Kohona.

"We're here." Kiba said after a few minutes. Hinata hesitantly opened her eyes. As expected, she was in front of her house.

"Thanks, Kiba-kun." She knelt down to scratch Akamaru. "Thanks, Akamaru."

"Go on, I'll walk you in." Hinata opened the door when they reached the porch. She turned around, standing in the open door frame.

"Thanks, Kiba-kun. I had fun." She told him. Suddenly, Temari poked her head out the door.

"Where are your manners, Sexy? Invite your boyfriend inside!" For the first time all night, Hinata blushed.

"P-please don't listen to her."

Temari smiled. "Come on in. Kiba, right?" Temari asked.

"Yeah." He answered, stepping into the toasty house.

"Hey Kiba." Shikamaru greeted him from the kitchen.

"Shikamaru!" Kiba shouted back. "It's been ages! How are things?"

Shikamaru flashed a look at a now smirking Temari. "A drag."

Hinata suddenly spun on her heels to look at the Inuzuka. "You live on the other side of town! It's gonna be so late when you get home!" She worried.

"No problem." Temari said. "He and his dog can crash here tonight." Hinata blushed.

"I don't want to cause trouble." Kiba said.

"No trouble. You can sleep on the couch. I'll sleep in Sexy's bed tonight." Temari turned and winked at the Hyuuga, makiing her blush even more red.

"Don't sweat it Kiba. You can stay for the night." Shikamaru said, stepping into the living room.

"Thanks, guys!" Kiba suddenly turned to Temari. "Why do you keep calling Hinata 'Sexy'?" He asked curiously.

"Uh, because she's sexy?" Temari grinned at Hinata's now scarlet face. "And she hangs out with so many guys." Kiba blushed under his tattoos.

"Oh." Was his simple response. He and Hinata shared an understanding stare.

"Well sorry to burst your bubble." Shikamaru said. "But I'm going to bed. That means it's time for you to all shut up." Without waiting for a response, Shikamaru shuffled into his bedroom.

"Come on Sexy, we should probably hit the hay." Temari said, turning towards the bedroom.

"Sleep well, Kiba." Hinata told him. With that, she slipped into her room to sleep.

Kiba saighed as he and Akamaru were left in the room. He thought back to when they were riding on the ninken, how Hinata's arms were wrapped tightly around him. That's what he wanted. He had to be with her. Another sigh escaped him as he clicked off the light.

**Author's Note: I honestly liked that chapter. Sorry for the lack of Naruto and Gaara, they'll be in the next chapter. I wanted o focus more on Hinata and Kiba in this one. Expect a bit of NaruHina in the next chapter, and obviously the date between Gaara and Aiko. I apologize for any typos, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Follow, favorite, review, do all that business.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: So, the date between Gaara and Aiko is finally happening. Hopefully it goes well. Also Hinata and Naruto meet for Ichiraku, that should be interesting. Wait, why am I telling you this? Read the damn chapter, find out what happens, and please enjoy.**

**Follows, Favs, and Reviews might be nice too. Just a thought. **

"Will you just tell me what you're getting ready for?" Kankuro begged as Gaara walked out of the bathroom, showering for the second time that morning. "I know you don't have a date, so what the hell are you getting all pampered for?" He stared at his brother as he slipped on a simple black shirt.

"Do you have to be so nosy?" Gaara asked, putting on a maroon jacket. He made sure not to dress too fancy. The last thing he wanted to do was intimidate Aiko.

"Well you smell like a prince and you're dressed like a bum, so I'm a little concerned, little brother." Kankuro stared at the effervescent-smelling Kazekage.

"I'm not dressed like a bum. It's called 'casual' and I heard it will make me seem more normal." Kankuro laughed until his ribs hurt.

"So you're telling me, that the Kazekage wants to be, 'normal?'" He asked rhetorically through chuckling gasps. "Maybe I'd leave you be if you just told me where the hell you were going."

"I'm going to Kisoji. It's the most expensive restaurant I could find in Konoha." He answered. Sometimes, Gaara almost doubted the fact that Kankuro was the older of the two.

"Dressed like that?" Kankuro teased, tugging at Gaara's jacket.

"I don't want to intimidate Ai-" He stopped before his brother could learn that Gaara wasn't going alone. "I'm just trying to say that I'm the Kazekage. I could go naked if I wanted to and I'd still be properly served."

"For one, you should totally go naked. And two, what the hell is going on? You've been acting weird lately. You know Temari started acting like this when she first started having her-" The deadly stare Gaara shot his brother told him maybe it was time to shut up. "Look, all I mean is that you're acting a lot different."

"Maybe it's because you've just become more annoying." Gaara retorted, fixing his hair in a mirror. He was trying to balance formal and casual, a feat that could not be achieved easily.

"Maybe." Kankuro stood in thought for a few moments. "Hey, you know what?" Gaara slowly turned his head to look at his babbling sibling. "You started acting like this when that Aiko girl showed up. I told you there was something wrong with her." Gaara gritted his teeth as Kankuro continued. "There's just something not right about her. Her eyes are too big, that's the problem. Or maybe it's the fact that she can't remember anything. I swear, Gaara, we'd be better off leaving her in Konoha." Suddenly, Gaara snatched his brother by the shirt and slammed him against the wall as hard as he could. Gaara held his defenseless brother a few inches off the ground, digging his knuckles into his collarbone as he held him in place. The infuriated Kazekage drew his face close to his sibling's, eyes flashing in anger.

"If you have such a problem with my assistant, maybe I can find a new bodyguard. Since my crew can't get along. If I hear one more word out of you about her, I swear I'll break you in half." With that, Gaara slammed his brother into the wall one more time and dropped him onto the floor. For the first time in a long time, Kankuro was a little scared of his brother. He hadn't acted that rashly since Shukaku was in control.

"Now that I think about it, Aiko's not so bad." Kankuro managed.

"I apologize if I hurt you, Kankuro." Gaara apologized. "If you really want to know what I'm doing, I'm going on a date. With Aiko."

Kankuro's eyes lit up in surprise. "That explains a lot. Like how you threatened to break me and what not."

"I'm leaving. Don't ruin anything. And don't get into trouble. I'll be back tonight." Kankuro opened his mouth to say something, but the door was already closing.

~ Switch ~

"What if he doesn't like me?" Aiko asked, a worried expression.

"Well if he didn't like you, he wouldn't be going out with you." Despite Sakura's words, Aiko's worried expression never wavered. "Are you nervous, Aiko?" Sakura asked.

"Very. I'm not ready, he's the Kazekage, I'm not even a Jonin. I've never been on a date, I have no idea what I'm doing." Aiko began to wave her arms frantically. "I can't do this, Sakura."

"Aiko, just calm down. Be yourself. He's gonna love you, I promise." Sakura desperately tried to comfort the frantic girl.

"He can't love me, this is our first date!" Suddenly, her eyes widened in terror. "What if he tries to kiss me? What if he wants to have sex? I'm not ready for that! And I can't say no, he's the Kazekage! I'll just have to give it up like some lady out of those dirty books."

"Aiko, please just calm down." Sakura sighed. She understood why the girl was nervous. A first date was always nerve-racking. A first date with the leader of a village, must be insane. "If you want, you can take off the dress, we can wash off your make-up, and I'll lie and tell Gaara that you're sick or something."

"No! I mean, I really want this date to go well. I just don't see how it will." Aiko sat down by the pinkette. "I'm hopeless, aren't I?"

"When put next to the Kazekage, yes. But next to Gaara, a guy who's probably just as nervous as you, I'm sure you'll do fine." Sakura patted the girl's shoulder. Sakura couldn't hold her hand forever, though. It was time for Aiko to go. "Come on, you've got somewhere to be."

~ Sometime Later ~

A determined Aiko swung open the door to what she hoped was the correct address. A day before, Temari stopped by and handed her a note Gaara had written containing all of the information. Aiko hurried inside, desperately trying to escape the chilly night air.

"Lady Aiko?" A man asked, quickly approaching the nervous girl. He was short and bald, and his scruffy stubble grew in patches all over his face. He looked to be about in his mid-forties, his white dress shirt the cleanest thing about him.

"Just Aiko. Please don't call me 'Lady' it makes me feel weird and important." The man raised an eyebrow at the odd, well-dressed person who awkwardly stood before him.

"Please follow me, Just Aiko." He motioned for her to follow as he briskly walked across the foyer. "Kazekage Gaara is waiting for you. Our chefs are busily preparing your meal." It seemed like there was a turn to make every few seconds, something that was a problem for Aiko considering she wobbled in the unsteady heels Sakura insisted she wore. Aiko began to have second thoughts, but quickly pushed them away. _He's nervous too, Aiko. He may be the Kazekage, but he's also just a guy who's on his first date. Be calm, be yourself. Remember what Sakura told you._ She was still talking to herself when she realized that the man was holding open the door, motioning for her to enter. She nodded courteously as walked into the notably lavish dining quarters. A young Kazekage stood at the sight of his date. The first thing he noticed was how well she had dressed. He silently cursed himself as he looked down at his black shirt and red jacket. _Damn it, you just had to be casual, huh?_ His thoughts were interrupted as the man clapped his hands together. "Both of you please sit and make yourselves comfortable, your food will be brought in shortly." With that, the odd looking man left the room.

"Hi Gaara." Aiko greeted him quietly, forcing the words as she spoke them.

"You look..." Gaara stared his assistant up and down, her appearance rendering him speechless. "Quite literally stunning."

"I overdressed, didn't I?" She worried out loud as she stared at the quite casually dressed Kazekage. "Damn, I was so worried about this happening!"

"No, I under dressed." He reassured her. "You look amazing." Aiko tried to stop it, but a slight blush crept up her face.

"Thank you. How much did this place cost?" She asked, looking around the dining room as she continued to stand by her chair. _Well that was a stupid question. _She continued to berate herself. _He's the Kazekage, it was obviously pricy._

"Quite expensive." He told her, as she expected. "You know Aiko, I don't know much about you." His eyes stared into hers as she slowly sat down across from him.

"Well..." Her brain panicked as she thought of something to say. Her heartbeat was the only thing she heard as she stared at the Kazekage. "I'm assistant to the Kazekage. That's a pretty interesting job."

Gaara chuckled at her joke. "I'm sure it is. But what don't I know about you? I'm almost certain you know everything about me. One of the reasons I asked you to come tonight was so that I could better learn who you are."

_No dodging the question this time. _She told herself, his gaze never wavering. "I mean, it's kind of a broad question. Not really sure where to begin just describing myself. But if I had to describe myself at this very moment with one word, it would be hungry. When's the food coming?"

"I understand that you're nervous, Aiko. I'm nervous too. But if we just sit here and blush at each other all night, we'll get nowhere."

"Yeah, well you're not on a date with the freaking Kazekage. I think I'm a bit more nervous than you are." Gaara paused at her sudden response.

"I apologize." He started.

"No, don't." She sighed. "It's just stressful. First time in Konoha, first date with the Kazekage, it's a lot to handle."

"I was worried this would happen." Gaara's sigh matched hers as all the light drained from his eyes.

"What?" She asked.

"I'm the Kazekage, Aiko. I'm probably not just going to have a normal date. It's impossible for me to pretend to be normal, even for one night."

Aiko immediately felt pity for Gaara. She was being selfish. "Alright. Let's have a date." Aiko stood from her chair.

"What are you doing?" He asked as she picked up her chair.

"Well, I've never been on a date, but I've read a lot of them. First off, this isn't a meeting. We should be closer." She walked over and set the chair beside Gaara's. It was his turn to blush as her arm brushed against his. "This feels a lot better. It almost felt like an interview before."

"Sorry." He apologized.

"What did you ask? Tell you about myself? Let's see. I'm not a very picky person. I like simple things. I talk a lot when I get nervous, and I get nervous pretty easily. I don't have any hobbies, really. I just do whatever feels right. I like being around friends. Sakura told me that I'm a nice person to be around, so I suppose that's something." She stared at Gaara as he listened to her ramble. "And I kind of like redheads." _Yeah! There you go! Flirt a little! _She cheered herself on as Gaara's cheeks began to turn red. "Now it's your turn."

"To what?" He asked, his skin still the color of a tomato.

"Come on, there has to be something you can tell me that's not in your files. Something that would surprise me."

"Well there is one thing." He told her. She smiled as she awaited his response. He leaned in and whispered into her ear. Her eyes widened as he began to describe the size of a certain body part in graphic detail. When he pulled away, he was pleasantly surprised at the shade of red she had turned. Her jaw had dropped about halfway through the description, and she hadn't yet closed it. Almost on cue, a waiter dressed in white walked in with a tray of food.

"I apologize dearly for the wait." He set the food in front of the pair. "Please enjoy, it's the finest shabu-shabu Konoha has to offer." Aiko had finally regained her composure by the time the man had left.

"Well, that information sure isn't in your file." She began to turn red again as her mind was now flooded with mental images.

"Eat up." He told her, pointing to the food with his chopsticks. "It's shabu-shabu."

"What is it?" She asked.

"Well, it's kobe beef, boiled in water and served with various vegetables and dipping sauces. It's not super fancy, but it's quite delicious." She began to shovel the delicious grub into her mouth after Gaara's description. For a pretty girl, she sure wasn't a pretty eater.

"That's delicious!" She managed through a mouthful of food.

"So Aiko, have you made many friends here?" He asked, trying to carry on the conversation throughout the meal.

"Yeah. Sakura and Naruto are really nice. And I met this Hinata girl right before I came here in a market, she seemed nice. She needed lots of eggs, but she seemed nice." She immediately began to stuff food into her face after she finished her statement. Gaara smiled at the fact that she and Naruto had gotten along.

"So how do you like Konoha?" He asked, still amazed at the amount of food she had consumed in the short period of time.

"Oh, it's not bad." She answered, not even bothering to swallow her food before she spoke. "I mean, it's a bit colder than Suna during the day, and a lot warmer at night. And there isn't sand everywhere, that feels pretty nice."

"Aiko?"

"Yeah?" She turned towards him.

"Maybe you should slow down. We don't want you to choke, now." She looked down and realized how much she had eaten.

"Oh, my bad! That probably seems very un-ladylike." Gaara smiled faintly as she began to eat slowly. "Better?" She asked.

"Safer. And besides, now maybe you can taste it. It tastes pretty good, when you eat like a human."

"Ouch." She said with a smile. "Teasing me, Gaara? Aren't you a Kazekage?"

"Not tonight. Tonight, normal Gaara is having a normal date." He smiled as he realized this was true.

"Yup. And now normal Aiko is going to eat like she normally would." She began to eat faster again, much to Gaara's amusement. "Hey?" She asked suddenly.

"Yes?"

"Do your lips feel funny?" She asked.

"Are you about to kiss me?."

"No for real. My whole mouth is like, really itchy." Almost on cue, her eyes began to water. "What the hell's going on?"

"Do you have a food allergy?" He asked, suddenly worrying.

"Yeah, but it's a soy allergy." She answered. "This is beef and vegetables."

"The dipping sauce." He replied with wide eyes.

"Yeah, so? I've had I before, it's a plum and vinegar sauce, it's freaking delicious."

"It's soy vinegar, Aiko." As soon as the words left his mouth, all color drained from her face.

"Gaara. This is bad. Like, really bad!" The next thing Gaara knew, he was bolting down the hallway, carrying a frantic Aiko in his arms. Carrying her would be faster. Those heels were too hard to run in and too expensive to leave. He threw the money at the desk as he bolted towards the medical facility.

~ Switch ~

A slender finger prodded the sleeping figure that lay on the couch, snoring peacefully. "Kiba-kun?" A few more pokes, and he finally opened his eyes.

"Hinata-chan?" He looked at the Hyuuga with blurred vision.

"Maybe it's time to wake up, Kiba-kun. If you don't, Temari said she was going to draw on your face." Kiba sat up slowly, attempting to shake the grogginess from himself.

"I'm up." Kiba stood, almost blushing as his arm brushed against Hinata's chest. "What's the big deal? Can't Temari just let me sleep?"

"Apparently not." Said Shikamaru, suddenly appearing from the kitchen. "Even I got up before you, Kiba." The lazy ninja smiled at Kiba's scowl.

"Sorry. It just took me a while to get to sleep." Kiba had spent the whole night thinking about Hinata. His head turned to look at her as she slipped on a coat. "Where are you going?"

"I'm eating Ichiraku with Naruto-kun. Didn't I tell you?" Kiba had to stifle a growl at the mention of their impromptu date.

"So you're on a date, Sexy?" Temari burst into the room. Hinata turned red at Temari's accusation.

"No! W-we're just friends!" Her blushed reddened as everyone grinned. "I-it's not like t-that! I-I swear!" Her stutter began to come back.

"Hinata, just remember." Temari smirked. "Make sure to get your mouth wet before you..." That was all Hinata heard before Shikamaru leaned over and covered her ears. Kiba's jaw dropped as Temari described the act.

"What's wrong with you, woman?" Shikamaru asked as he pulled away from the girl. "You're gonna give her nightmares."

"So? Her boobs are bigger than mine, it's time she learns these things."

"I-I-I think i-it's about t-time to go. Bye everybody." Hinata quickly fled the residence, much to Temari's amusement. Kiba sat down on the couch after she had left, not really knowing when to leave. Temari plopped down beside him, studying the Inuzuka.

"Yeah?" He asked as she continued to stare.

"You love her, don't you Inuzuka?" She asked. His eyes widened as he turned his head to stare at her.

"What makes you say that?" He asked, stiffening up as Temari smiled.

"Because it's written all over your face. You've got the hots for the Hyuuga, huh?" Kiba mirrored her stare as he tried to formulate a response. He turned his head away from her and sighed.

"Yeah. I do." He figured lying at this point would be useless. "I love her a lot, actually. I have for years."

Temari dropped her smirk for a more sympathetic expression. "Why haven't you told her?"

Kiba scoffed as if what Temari had said was a joke. "She likes Naruto. You saw her, if you even bring up the guy she turns red and freaks out."

"Well maybe if you'd stop being such a coward, she'd like you." The smirk returned at Kiba's look of alarm.

"What?" He asked suddenly.

"You heard me. You're being a coward. You're giving up because she's not into you. If you don't drop that attitude, you're doomed. If you just bury your head in your hands and pray that she just wakes up and loves you one day, you're just being stupid."

"You're acting like it's easy!" Kiba shouted. Akamaru stiffened at his owners new found anger.

"It's not easy, but it's possible!" She shouted back. "You're getting nowhere, and you know it. You're her friend, yeah. Bu in terms of romance, you're invisible."

"How about you shut the hell up?" Kiba growled.

"I want to help you, dumb ass. So you tell me to shut up again, I'll rip out your tongue and hang you with it." She threatened him. "I'm trying to tell you that this 'nice friend' method won't work. She wants that Uzumaki kid, and she wants him bad. And if you ever want to change that, you'll start to show her that you're the guy she needs to be with."

"Yeah? And how do you expect me to do that?" His angered tone didn't waver, although he had no intention of leaving at this point.

"She likes you, dummy. Just not as much as you want her to."

"You just said she thought I was invisible!"

"I was trying to piss you off. If you weren't fired up, there's no way you'd agree to my plan." Kiba's puzzled expression let Temari know she had him hooked.

"What's your plan?" He asked.

"You need a girlfriend. You need a very open relationship. What you need to do, is make Hinata jealous. Make Hinata want you. Make Hinata realize what she's been missing." Kiba's eyes widened in thought as he pondered Temari's scheme.

"Who could be my fake girlfriend?"

"I don't know. I'm sure at least one girl wouldn't mind kissing on you for a bit." Kiba's eyes lit up as he knew just where he could go. Without warning, he hugged Temari. "Hey there, I wasn't offering!" Kiba released her with a frin.

"I owe you, Temari. Let's go Akamaru!" The Inuzuka and his dog quickly fled the house, leaving a smiling Temari very proud of herself.

~ Switch ~

Three kunai left Tenten's hand, and all three hit their mark. Sparring alone wasn't as productive, but she enjoyed much more than she did sparring with Neji. More weapons hit their mark as she was deep in thought. She had waited for Kiba to come all night, and was a little disappointed when he didn't. She wondered how his time with Hinata went. She wanted those two together now more than anything. She didn't blame Kiba at all, either. She knew exactly what it was like to be into a Hyuuga. She had always found Neji irresistible, even now, as she swore she hated him.

"Tenten!" A familiar voice shouted, breaking her train of thought. Rock Lee quickly sprinted towards his teammate. "What are you doing all by yourself, Tenten?" He asked in his usual too-happy tone.

A sigh escaped her lips at the sight of her friend. "Sparring alone. It's a lot more peaceful than when I spar with Neji."

"I'm worried, Tenten." He immediately responded.

"About what, Lee?" She turned her head to look at him.

"You and Neji. The more you two fight, the worse the condition of our team is."

"Maybe Neji shouldn't be such an asshole." Tenten replied, using a scroll to summon more weapons.

"How come you didn't hate him this much before?"

Tenten was taken aback by the question. "He's my ex. Not much can make me hate him more."

"You didn't hate him this much before. It is foolish to base how you work with someone on past problems. Guy sensei always tells us to make sure that we improve, everyday. The more you and Neji bicker, the less you improve." Tenten hated it when Lee was right.

"I know Lee." Her statement was followed by another sigh. "It's just... One moment Neji is your best friend. The next, you want to strangle him."

"I have wanted to strangle Neji many times. I never let it get in the way of how we worked as a team."

"I'm gonna strangle you if you don't shut up, Lee!" She threatened playfully. "Come on, I need a sparring partner."

"I would never refuse an opportunity to train!" Lee gave a thumbs up before dodging the multiple weapons that were immediately thrown at him.

~ Switch ~

Naruto wondered if Hinata had remembered to meet him. He had been waiting at Ichiraku for awhile, desperately wanting to know what happened between Tenten and Kiba. He was a little worried after Aiko hadn't come home, but he just figured she was spending the night in Gaara's room. His stomach growled as he waited. He didn't want to order until Hinata got there. Almost on cue, she walked into the small restaurant. "Hey! Hinata-chan, you came!" Before she could respond he quickly turned to Teuchi. "One bowl of the regular, please!"

"H-hello, N-N-Naruto-kun." She stuttered, not having mentally prepared for the encounter. She slowly sat down next to the blond.

"And what will you be eating, pretty lady?" Teuchi asked, looking at Hinata.

Hinata gulped. "J-just whatever h-he's having."

"So Hinata, let's get down to business!" Naruto said enthusiastically. Hinata began to redden, not understanding what he meant by the statement. "How did Kiba's date with Tenten go?" He asked, realizing where the girl's mind was probably wandering.

"H-h-he said i-it didn't go to well." She answered meekly.

"Well that doesn't surprise me. Two of the most hot-headed people in Konoha. I bet they had the most intense screaming match ever!" He was stopped when a bowl of ramen was placed in front of him.

"S-so is t-that all?" She asked quietly, their initial topic for meeting being discussed rather quickly.

"Huh?" He asked turning towards her, still eating, exactly like the last time.

"D-didn't we meet t-to discuss Kiba-kun a-and Tenten?" She asked, now slowly eating her food.

"Well yeah, but we can still hang out, Hinata-chan! The least you could do is finish your ramen."

"Thank you." A cheery smile spread across her face.

"It is a little weird though, huh?" He asked.

"W-what is?"

"Well, we've never really just hung out like this. It's nice to get to know you a little better, Hinata-chan." Naruto flashed her a smile, her face immediately turning red as he did.

"I-It's not u-usual. B-but i-it's nice."

"Yeah!" He agreed. "I'm glad you think so!" He continued to smile at her, which didn't do anything to quell her blush. She sat awkwardly for a few moments, not really knowing how to respond. After a considerable amount of still air, Naruto again turned to the shy girl. "How come you're so shy?"

"Uh..." Hinata had trouble answering the question.

"Exactly!" Naruto pointed at her. "I don't understand what you have to be so shy about. You're a freaking princess, Hinata-chan!"

"I-I-I d-don't know i-if I'd go that f-far." She stuttered, not prepared for the question or the compliment that followed.

Naruto grinned, knowing that she was unprepared for the volley of compliments. "I could go farther! You're nice, everyone likes you, you're so pretty. I don't understand how you can be so shy." He turned to his food, fully aware of her scarlet complexion.

_Naruto-kun thinks I'm pretty?_ She asked herself. It took everything she had not to faint right on the spot. "Thank you. I-I don't k-know h-h-how to respond."

"Hinata, I know we've only been talking for a few minutes, but I really have to go. Meet me here again on Wednesday, this is fun." Before she could stutter out a response, the Uzumaki was gone, leaving a red Hyuuga alone to think about what he had said.

**Author's Note: So that was a fun chapter to write. I apologize for any typos, I'm sure there were a few. Sorry if anyone seemed a little OOC (I'm referencing a certain Kazekage) but it's called character development, people. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll probably have the next one out the day after tomorrow, like I usually do.**

**Also, I know the Naruto and Hinata scene was short. But I'm trying to build it up here, people. I can't snap my fingers and have them love each other. Besides, I still haven't decided if Hinata's going to end up with Naruto or Kiba. Oh well, I'll learn when I write it.**

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	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: So here's the next chapter, as expected. Sorry I'm two days late, but I've been busy. Please enjoy.**

"What the hell did you do?" The pinkette asked, eyes flashing in anger at the Kazekage as she healed a slightly swollen Aiko.

"She had a soy allergy that I was unaware of." He answered, refusing to make eye contact with the snarling medical nin. "This will stay between us, right?"

"How the hell did you not know you were eating soy?" Sakura turned to Aiko.

"Does it matter?" Gaara interjected. "What matters is if she's okay. She'll be fine, right?"

"Of course. You got here just in time. The swelling was kind of bad, but nothing I can't handle."

"I'm really sorry Sakura." Aiko apologized.

"Shut up, Aiko. Just relax and let me heal you." Sakura smiled at her patient.

"I apologize for my inconvenience, but I really must leave." Gaara turned towards the door, but was quickly pulled back.

"No no no, you're not leaving her you jackass." The look the Kazekage gave the pinkette could've burned a hole through the sun. "You put her in this position, and you're gonna see her through it."

"You're aware who you're talking to?" Gaara reminded her of his position.

"And you should be aware that I'm not intimidated by your title."

"Guys, can you just stop arguing?" The last thing Aiko wanted was for her two friends to duke it out. "Sakura, he's the Kazekage. I'm sure he has some paperwork or something." She turned to the fuming redhead. "I'm really sorry this didn't work out."

"Didn't work out?" Gaara put on a confused face, pretending the medical nin wasn't even there. "This is the best I've felt in months." Gaara locked his eyes onto her. "I understand if you'd rather not, but I'd really like to see you again."

"I'm your assistant, you see me all the time." She replied. Sakura, now finished with the healing process, buried her face in her hands. Suddenly realizing what Gaara meant, Aiko blushed. "Oh, like a date. Sure, whenever you want to. You're the Kazekage, so it's not like I could refuse."

"Do you want to refuse?" He asked.

"Of course not." She smiled at him. He smiled back as he left, Sakura's glare following him out the door. Sakura turned her head, giving the now upright Aiko a suspicious look.

"You like him, don't you?" Her suspicious look became a slight scowl as Aiko looked away.

"Maybe." The assistant answered, turning her head back towards the pinkette.

"Even though he tried to kill you?" Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. She had been excited about Aiko's date with the Kazekage, but after the severe allergic reaction she was a little less than enthused about the encounter.

"That was my fault, I should've asked what I was eating. Don't blame Gaara." Aiko tried to defend him. Sakura sighed, letting a slight smile spread across her lips as she dropped her arms.

"So other than the near-death experience, how did the date go?" She took a seat beside her friend on the slightly uncomfortable hospital bed.

"It started kind of on the bad side, but then it turned great! I even flirted with him."

"You? Flirted?" Sakura asked. Aiko nodded, a proud smile showing.

"It was amazing. I really want to do it again."

"Flirt, or date?"

"Both." Aiko stood. "I think I should be heading home. Naruto's probably worried sick."

"Fine. I would follow, but this still technically my job. You never know when someone's gonna rush in with an allergic reaction to dinner." Sakura waved goodbye as her friend left.

~ Switch ~

Shikamaru exited his bedroom, now properly dressed. "Where did Kiba go?" He asked the smirking kunoichi. "And why do you look so full of yourself?"

"Oh, Mr. Know It All isn't in on the secret this time, is he?" Temari loved the cross look that flashed across his face.

"Oh just tell me, woman." Shikamaru demanded, a hint of impatience in his voice.

"Kiba, just so happens to be in love with our dear friend Hinata." Temari relished in the fact that it was her telling Shikamaru something he didn't know. For the first time, Temari saw what seemed to be a look of surprise on the lazy ninja's face.

"Well there goes my interest." Shikamaru's face changed to its usual bored expression.

"You don't even find it a little unexpected?" Temari pouted.

"I hate teen romances." He responded lazily, collapsing on the sofa beside her. "Besides, it's not like he has a chance anyway. She's always had a thing for Naruto."

"So?" Temari glared. "I bet she'll go for Kiba."

"You're only saying that because I said Kiba doesn't have a chance. You'd say the sun is blue if you thought that I believed otherwise." He chuckled as her eyes flashed in anger.

"You're an ass."

"You're troublesome." He winced as she slammed her fist into his arm.

"Shut it, Nara." She said with a faint smile. She turned and rested her back against the arm of the couch, extending her legs so that they now rested in Shikamaru's lap.

"Please get off." He shoved her legs away, and sighed as she put them right back. "Why do you do this?"

"Does it annoy you?" She asked, now letting the smile take over.

"Very much."

"That's why." His annoyed expression made her laugh. She gasped as he leaped to his feet, pinng her legs to the couch with one hand. He casually sat back down, pinning her legs underneath him. "Hey! Get off!" She shouted, trying to pull her legs out.

"Now why would I do that?" He asked, the smile now on his face. It widened as her eyes flashed in anger.

"I swear, I'm gonna kill you if you don't get up!" She desperately tried to pull her legs away.

"Sorry Temari. I'm much too comfortable to do that" He ignored her as she screamed all sorts of profanities at him.

~ Switch ~

Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets as he hurried home. He felt bad about leaving Hinata that early, but he knew it wasn't the last time he'd see her. He had grown to enjoy her company over the years, and even though their friendship seemed scattered and unorganized, it was still a friendship. He also wanted to get out of there pretty quickly when he realized how much he had complimented her. He had learned that sometimes, girls take compliments to mean way more than they really do. So in an effort to look less like an ass, he left. When he arrived home, he threw open the door, not expecting Aiko to be standing there. "Hey!" He exclaimed, looking at the girl.

"Hello." She said awkwardly, munching on what looked like some sort of chip.

"Where were you last night?" He asked.

"Oh, I had an allergic reaction. No big deal." He began to take off his jacket, but was interrupted by Aiko's gasp. "Hey, I almost forgot!" She shouted. "Some guy told me that the Hokage wanted you. Something about a mission." Naruto sighed, zipping his jacket back up.

"Well, I guess goodbye then." He turned and left. He loved serving Konohagakure, he just hated how many low rank missions he had been doing. Tsunade had been giving him dozens of low rank missions over the last few months, and he wasn't surprised about this one. _What is it this time? Find a cat? Wash a dog?_ He thought to himself as he rushed to Tsunade's office. Upon his arrival, he was greeted by Tsunade and a face he didn't expect to see so soon.

"H-hi Naruto-kun." Hinata greeted him.

"Great! You're both here." Tsunade ushered the two over. "I have a mission for the two of you."

"Yeah, we know that part Grandma." Naruto interrupted. "What's the rank?"

"C." She answered. Naruto let out an audible sigh.

"Come on, I should be doing at least A rank by now!" He shouted, clearly not liking the mission before he was even informed on what it was.

"Maybe if you and Hinata do what I ask, I'll consider it." Naruto's face lit up as she continued. "The mission is simple, but important. We have a group of shinobi currently spying on the Akatsuki. They are going to be there for a few more days, and are out of resources. Instead of having them return, I'm instead sending you two to deliver the supplies. You should be back sometime in the next three days, if you hurry. There are places to spend the night, and various villages you can visit if you need anything. You two head out tomorrow morning." The two ninja nodded, understanding the task. After being shooed away, they stood outside the Hokage Tower.

"Three days. That's even longer than the last mission." Naruto grumbled.

"I-It says h-here that Kakashi and Kurenai sensei a-are among the group." She informed the Uzumaki, studying the information Tsunade had handed her. "I-It must be i-important."

"It's spying on the Akatsuki, Hinata-chan. It's pretty important." He said as they began walking.

"D-doesn't that m-make our mission i-important as well?" She asked, avoiding eye contact with her crush.

"Hey, it kind of is!" He grinned as he realized she was right. "That's why I like you Hinata-chan."

_Naruto-kun likes me?_ She froze, a blush invading her face. "T-t-t-thank y-y-you, N-N-Naruto-kun." She barely stuttered out.

"You know what Hinata, why should we wait until tomorrow?" He asked, trademark grin still on his face.

"B-b-because the H-H-Hokage t-told us too." She answered meekly.

"So? If we go now, we'll have the supplies delivered that much sooner!"

"B-b-but I-I need to say g-goodbye." The pale Hyuuga told him.

"Come on, we'll be back before they know we're gone." With that, he began to sprint toward the gates of Konoha. Hinata gulped and reluctantly followed him.

~ Switch ~

Kiba was running as fast as he could, Akamaru right on his heels. Temari's words still raced through his head. He knew she was right. He knew Naruto wasn't right for her. Naruto had spent the past years chasing after Sakura, not even realizing what he had waiting for him. He became angrier as he tried to find a reason Hinata loved the Uzumaki so much. She treated Kiba like Naruto treated her. He growled to himself as he ran, desperately attempting to clear his head. Naruto was one of his closest friends, but he wasn't going to pretend that he deserved Hinata. He arrived at his destination, and pounded on the door. Tenten answered, a little surprised by how quickly he rushed into her home.

"What the hell?" She asked. "You were supposed to come here last night."

"I stayed the night at Shikamaru's. Anyway, there's no time for that. Tenten, I need your help.

"With what?"

"I need you to be my fake girlfriend. Just for a little bit?"

"You know, if you had played your cards right, I would have been your real girlfriend a week ago. Why in the hell do you want me to be your fake girlfriend?" She asked.

"To make Hnata-chan jealous. Look, I'm running out of options. If I don't do something now, I may never be with her."

"Kiba, I'm not too sure about this." She said.

"Why?"

"Well, maybe Hinata just doesn't want to be with you."

"Don't you tell me that now!" He shouted. "You said it yourself, there's a bit of her that does."

"Maybe I was wrong Kiba. If being with Naruto would make her happy, shouldn't you just let her be with Naruto?" Kiba was about to retaliate, but stopped. Maybe Tenten was right. He was about to sigh and give up, until he remembered all the heartbreak Naruto would cause her. Naruto loved Sakura. Not Hinata.

"No. He'll just shatter her heart into a million little pieces. I care about Hinata, way more than he ever could. I'm doing the right thing Tenten. All I want is your help."

"Fine. But if you just hurt Hinata, I'm gonna have your head on a stick." Kiba hugged her at her agreement, something that wasn't awkward until he thought about it later. 'Hey, if we're fake dating, there's one thing you'll have to get used to."

"What's that?" He asked, releasing the girl. She quickly pulled him into a kiss, holding him there by the front of his shirt despite his desperate jerking away. "What the hell Tenten!?" He shouted upon his release.

"I'll never get used to that. Come on, we've got to start announcing that we're together." She grabbed him by the hand as they walked toward the door. Kiba almost regretted his decision when he realized how much Tenten was enjoying this.

**Author's Note: So that's that. Sorry if this was a shorter chapter. I obviously apologize for any typos, they're not supposed to be there. Anyway, it might be a few days until I update again, but don't worry, no longer than a week. Expect the next chapter to be strictly Naruto and Hinata's mission. So NaruHina shippers should be eagerly awaiting the next chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading.**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: So sorry for the wait guys. You know I hate to do that. I've just been really busy lately. I promised I wouldn't make you wait more than a week though. So yay for my commitment. Also, if you don't like Naruto and Hinata, just wait 'till the chapter after next, because these two chapters are strictly the mission. But, I think most of you like NaruHina. And if you don't, well you're still reading so I must have done something right. Anyway, sorry for the long Author's Note, and please enjoy. **

"Aren't you supposed to leave tomorrow?" Genma asked. It was his turn to guard the gate, something he didn't enjoy at all.

"Well, Grandma Tsunade told us that the sooner we leave, the sooner the supplies will be delivered. We're leaving now because of how urgent the mission is." Naruto lied. Hinata was surprised he was able to lie his way through. She knew Genma wouldn't fall for it though. He was no idiot.

"That makes sense." Genma lifted two black bags. "Here's the supplies. I assume you know where you're going." Hinata's jaw dropped at how easily it was to fool the experienced shinobi.

"Thanks!" Naruto shouted. "We'll be back before you know it!" With that, the two ran from Konoha. After about twenty minutes of silent travel, Hinata slowed and pulled out the map the Hokage had given them.

"If we keep going at this pace, we should arrive at the first Inn before sunset." She informed the blond, amazed at her stutter-less sentence.

"A whole day early! I told you it was a good idea to leave now Hinata-chan!" He grinned as they picked up the pace. From what Hinata had read, the first Inn was supposed to be in a small farming community located a few dozen miles north of Konoha. The Inn was used to Leaf Village shinobi, and profited greatly because of its location near the village. It was run by a small family, and wouldn't cost very much. "Hey, Hinata-chan?" Naruto interrupted her thoughts.

"Y-yes Naruto-kun?"

"You never answered my question at ramen." He turned to see the Hyuuga blush. "Why are you so shy around people?"

Hinata thought. She desperately wanted to answer the Uzumaki's question. "I-I-I'm really n-not sure." She finally answered. "I-I'm not n-nervous a-a-around everyone. J-just some people."

"Maybe we don't hang out enough." Naruto wondered aloud, realizing how spread out the relationship between the two was. "Maybe we should start training together!" He exclaimed. "Or at least eat some ramen once or twice a week. At the least go on a walk." All these thoughts of doing these things with Naruto was just too much for the shy Hyuuga to handle. The poor girl fainted mid-stride, much to Naruto's dismay. Naruto sighed as he slung the unconscious Hinata over his shoulder. She slowed him down, but not enough to make a dent in their time. As expected, he and the girl arrived at the Inn while the day was still quite young. He walked through the wooden double doors of the Inn, Hinata still resting peacefully on his shoulder. "Two rooms please!" Naruto told the woman behind the desk. He used his free arm to reach into his pocket, fiddling around for his wallet. When he couldn't find it, he searched his other pocket. Worried, he sat Hinata down and propped her against the wall. He proceeded to search his pack, and the rest of his person.

"Are you going to pay for your room?" The woman asked, staring at the frantic Naruto and unconscious Hyuuga.

"I can't find gama-chan!" He shouted, removing his jacket and shaking it violently, desperately hoping the frog wallet would just fall out.

"What's a gama-chan?" The woman asked, almost sarcasticlly.

"My wallet." He answered. He walked over to Hinata and gently began to shake the girl. "Hinata-chan. Hinata-chan, wake up." He sighed a sigh of relief as her eyes fluttered open.

"W-where am I?" She asked, blinking to adjust to her sudden new surroundings.

"We're at the Inn. Hinata, do you have any money?" He asked, getting right to the point. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small pack. She peered inside, mentally counting the money that was in it.

"I-I have just enough t-to pay for my own r-rooms." She told him. She winced when he stomped his foot.

"Damn it!" He cursed. "Apparently leaving so soon wasn't a very good idea." He told Hinata, who stood up after she realized she was on the floor. "I don't have any money to pay for my rooms." Hesaid.

"I-I don't h-have any extra money." She told him sadly.

"Will you two quit dancing around the obvious?" The lady behind the desk rolled her eyes. "Just share a room. You have enough." Naruto turned his head, giving Hinata a hopeful look. She nodded reluctantly, and nervously walked to the desk.

"H-h-h-here." She slid the money to the woman, who finally put on a happy expression. "Your room's right over there." She informed them, pointing to a door. "Try to keep the noise down in there, we have other guests." And with that, Hinata fainted again.

~ The Next Day ~

Hinata awoke, tucked in to the large bed. Naruto sat at the foot, staring at what she assumed was the map that told where they would be traveling that day. When she began to raise up, the blond turned to her, flashing a grin.

"Hinata-chan, you're awake!" He exclaimed. "Okay. So we eat breakfast, rest for a bit longer, then we go. We've got a bit of distance to cover, so the earlier we get out the better." The Hyuuga nodded. She got dressed quickly, wanting to get to the next Inn as fast as possible. As soon as she was ready, the woman from the desk walked in carrying two plates.

"Breakfast, on the house." She said, setting the food on the dresser. "Eat up quick, you get the room for another hour." She slammed the door, not even waiting for a response.

"I don't think I like that woman." Hinata drowsily admitted as she walked over to the dresser. Naruto had to stifle a laugh as she handed him a plate.

"Sorry I forgot my wallet." He told her over the poorly cooked meal.

"I-It's fine." She told him. The last thing she wanted to think about was the fact that they shared a bed. She figured fainting three times in a twenty-four hour period was quite unhealthy.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, setting his plate down on the bed.

"Shouldn't w-we give that t-to the w-woman?" Hinata asked. Naruto rolled his eyes, imitating the cross innkeeper.

"Nope. Let's go, Hinata-chan." She giggled, setting her plate by his. The twosome left the rather poor Inn behind, grateful to be away from it. They picked up the pace as they traveled, attempting to get from point A to point B before nightfall. From what they had read, the next was in a bustling market town. The inn where they were reserved was supposed to be much nicer, a relief to the two ninja.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata turned her head to her companion.

"Yeah?" He gave her a puzzled look, not realizing she had activated her Byakugan.

"W-we should be careful. I'm picking up a really strong chakra. It's definitely a shinobi. A strong one." As soon as the words left her lips, Naruto saw what he swore was a black robe, the red cloud of the Akatsuki splayed proudly across it. Naruto threw a kunai as soon as he had his eyes set on the target. It hit it's mark. What Naruto didn't expect was for the blue-skinned foe to turn into a puddle of water when it was hit.

"A water clone." He growled.

"We have two choices." Hinata told him calmly as she assumed the famed Gentle Fist stance. "We can take the target head on. Or we can avoid unnecessary conflict and flee." Naruto was a little surprised by the steely-eyed Hyuuga's calm assessment.

"We can't worry about that dirt bag right now." He told her. "We should go, and quickly." She nodded at the Uzumaki as they began sprinting away from the area. The last thing either of them wanted was to go head to head with a member of the Akatsuki during a C Rank mission. They ran as fast as they could for what felt like hours. Only when Hinata used her Byakugan and could no longer detect the ninja did the two slow their pace.

"That was a close call." Hinata said through exhausted gasps. She clutched her side, her body aching and practically begging for a rest.

"Yeah." Naruto huffed out. "Hopefully this doesn't mean they found the group." Naruto said, referencing the small spy team sent out to watch the Akatsuki. It was a four man squad which consisted of Kurenai Yuhi, Kakashi Hatake, Neji Hyuuga, and Shino Aburame.

"T-that would be terrible!" Hinata squeaked, realizing the very real possibility of their mission going bad. A look of determination crossed her face. "We have to hurry. We'll go to the Inn tonight. Tomorrow will be all travel until we get to our location."

"What about the third Inn?" Naruto asked.

"Forget about it. We have a duty." She began to pick up the pace, much to Naruto's dismay. He sighed and followed the steely-eyed kunoichi. Naruto liked it when Hinata took charge. It showed him how much she had grown as a ninja. He grinned to himself as he followed. After another hour of fast travel, they arrived at their destination. The sun was setting when they walked into the large building. Hinata's pale lavender eyes lit up when she saw the elaborately decorated main room. The two exhausted ninja were greeted by a cheery young man behind the desk.

"Hello!" He greeted. "What can I do for you?" He nodded when he saw their headbands. "You must be the two ninja from Konoha! We've been expecting you. Come, come. We have two rooms ready for you." He turned to them his expression changing to a scowl. "Assuming you have the money."

Hinata lifted her pack slowly. "W-we have enough for a single room, sir."

He grinned. "Right this way then!" His brisk pace annoyed Naruto as they followed him to their room. "This is one of our best rooms." He told them. "And it's very romantic. You two should be quite 'comfortable' tonight." He said with the same cheesy grin, which now began to annoy Naruto as well. Hinata blushed deeply, trying to maintain her composure.

"Thank you." She gave a courteous bow as the man ushered them inside.

"Dinner will be brought up shortly." He told them. At the mention of food, Naruto's stomach growled. He hadn't eaten all day, not since what little he had at the last Inn. "Please enjoy your stay." The man closed the door, leaving the two to themselves.

"Wow!" Hinata said, staring around the room. "It's beautiful!" Naruto, ignoring what it looked like, shuffled across the room and collapsed onto the large bed.

"I hope they bring dinner soon." He mumbled. Hinata giggled at the blond, who now lay clutching his stomach and moaning dramatically. The Hyuuga sat beside him, not willing to admit how hungry she herself was. Naruto sat up to look at her. "Are you worried?" He asked her. She reluctantly nodded her head.

"A little." She admitted.

"Me too Hinata-chan." Naruto turned to her, putting on a smile. "But even if they did get detected, those four are some of the best ninja in the village." He reassured her. "And we'll be there tomorrow. I'm certain when we arrive, they'll be fine." He placed his hand on her shoulder gently, continuing his smile. She smiled back at him when the door flew open.

"Am I interrupting something?" The cheery man asked, carrying two plates of what looked like various meats.

"No." Hinata answered quickly, her blush returning.

"Good thing you're here!" Naruto leaped from the bed and practically charged he man. "I'm starving!" The cheery man smiled.

"Well eat up then! Please bring the dishes down when you have finished. Enjoy your night!" Naruto grinned as he ate. Hinata was thankful, it tasted much better than the meal at the previous Inn. They ate quickly, and went to bed right after. They had a big day tomorrow, and needed as much rest as they could get.

After a bit of conflict regarding Hinata waking up on the front desk, the two ninja were ready to go and finish their mission. The plan was to travel quickly silently, an effort to not go noticed before they arrived. If Hinata's calculations were right, if they traveled quickly enough they might arrive before nightfall.

After about an hour and a half of running, Hinata spoke up. "I'm starting to pick up that chakra again." Her tone sounded a little worried.

"How close is it?" Naruto asked, sharing her worried look.

"Very close."

"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!" Hinata turned her head, but it was too late. Both ninja were swept under a large wall of water, unable to do anything. After the initial impact, they stood groggily.

"How did this happen?" Hinata asked. The entire area was covered in water. The two ninja stood on the surface, patiently awaiting the next attack.

"Hello there, Nine Tails." A voice growled. A figure rose from beneath the water, standing just a few yards away. "It's been a while." The man grinned, baring his sharp teeth.

"Hey! You're Itachi's partner!" Naruto shouted, pointing at the Akatsuki member.

"My name is Kisame." He snarled. "And I'm sick of introducing myself."

"We have to be careful." Hinata looked at her companion, his eyes wide in anger. "He's very powerful."

"There's no running this time." He told her. "Hey!" Naruto shouted. "What are you waiting for? Bring it!" Kisame grinned at the offer.

"Aargh!" He snarled. Hinata braced herself as he charged at them.

"Byakugan!"

**Author's Note: And that's that. I really hope you enjoyed. Sorry if I had any typos. Expect the next chapter to come out soon, hopefully much sooner than this one did. Yes, expect a large portion of the next chapter to be a fight. Anyway, sorry if this was too short, it was a bit of a challenge to write a whole chapter focusing primarily on just two characters. I'll try my best to make the next one longer, but I make no promises. Have a good day, and thanks for the support.**

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	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Alright, so before I get into this chapter I would like to address something. So, more than one person has reviewed this story and told me how it's going to end. They tell me that since Kiba has gotten more coverage in the beginning chapters, he's obviously going to get with Hinata in the end. This story isn't even halfway over, and you're trying to predict the ending? Let me make something crystal clear with you. In the anime and manga, it is explained that Hinata has a crush on Naruto. That means that I don't have to explain it to you, since you already know about it. It never tells you that Kiba likes Hinata. So what does that mean? It is now the writer's job to explain to you this new angle that isn't discussed on the show or in the manga. I understand that Kiba has had more coverage than Naruto so far, which is why I'm dedicating two whole chapters to him and Hinata! So read the story, and stop telling me what my ending is gonna be when it's not even halfway over. If you want to know who gets together in the end, PM me and I'll be happy to tell you. If not, then please just cut it out with the "she's obviously gonna get with Kiba." After that tirade of an Author's Note, please enjoy this chapter. **

Kisame went for Hinata first, the jagged edges of his sword missing her by only inches as she ducked the attack. A quick strike to his ribs was followed by the Hyuuga jumping away, attempting to distance herself from the swordsman. Kisame turned, now standing face to face with the Nine Tails Jinchuuriki.

"You're coming with me, brat." The Akatsuki member snarled. He knew he had the advantage. The two were standing on a small lake now. Kisame chuckled at how easy this fight would be.

"We'll see about that!" Naruto leaped back, creating two shadow clones to stand beside him. The first one charged, leaping in the air and aiming a balled fist at the foe. It was effortlessly swatted away by Kisame's sword. The second tried to make its move when the first went down. Kisame had left himself open for attack by destroying the first one, and the second landed a kick. Kisame lifted the pesky clone and hurled him at he original Naruto. The clone was destroyed when it slammed into the blond, knocking the wind out of him and submerging him under the water for a moment.

"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!" Kisame was startled when the invisible force slammed into him, knocking him back. He snarled at the steely-eyed Hinata. He turned his back on the huffing Naruto, now focusing all of his attention on the girl. This proved to be a mistake when the Uzumaki slammed into him. Now caught between the two, Kisame darted his gaze between them.

"Why are you here?" Naruto asked. He stayed in a battle stance in case Kisame made the next move.

"I was sent to take care of the spies Zetsu detected." He told them. He gripped his blade tightly as he planned his next move. Hinata gasped at the Akatsuki's awareness of the spy group they were sent to aid. _We've already failed the mission._ She realized. _The supplies are underwater somewhere, most likely destroyed. _

"So you know where they are?" Naruto growled.

"We know they're there." Kisame answered. "We just don't know where. But that doesn't matter now. I've found someone much more important." Before either of the Konoha nin could respond, Kisame sprang into action. "Water Release: Water Shark Bullet!" Kisame used his sword to splash up water, using his chakra to shape it into a large shark. He hurled it at Naruto, and turned his attention to Hinata. He dipped his blade into the water. When he pulled it out, it was coated in a massive amount of water. "Water Release: Great Water Drill!" He charged at the Hyuuga, giving her no time to think.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto leaped back as his clones formed a long line in front of him. The shark tore through them, but had dissolved by the time it reached the real Uzumaki. Naruto could only watch in horror as Kisame slammed the water coated sword into Hinata. Her scream was cut off when she was forced underneath the water. He bit his thumb and placed it on the surface of the water. "Summoning Jutsu!" In an instant, Gamatatsu and Gamakichi stood before him. Kisame turned, staring at the two amphibians. He then began to laugh uproariously.

"What are they supposed to do?" He asked. Naruto knew he had let his guard down, ad had to act fast.

"Ready, Gamatatsu?" He turned to the toad.

"What's going on?" The toad asked curiously. "Are you gonna give me snacks?"

"After you perform the technique correctly." Naruo was trying to keep his cool, something that was difficult to do between the clueless toad and the fact that Hinata hadn't resurfaced yet.

"Okay!" Naruto grinned and leaped onto his back.

"What are you getting at?" Kisame snarled. He stared at the toad as it filled its mouth with water. In a rage, he began to charge at them.

"Ready, Gamatatsu?" Naruto began to panic as Kisame hurried towards them.

"Ready!" The toad answered through a mouthful of water. Kisame leaped into the air, readying his blade to come down on them.

"Wind Release: Toad Gun!" The stream of chakra-infused water slammed into Kisame, knocking him away several yards. At such a close distance, Naruto figured the fight was over. Kisame landed in the water some distance away with an audible splash. Naruto smiled widely as Hinata finally broke the waters surface.

"Did you beat him?" She asked.

"I think we did!" The Uzumaki grinned at her.

"We did it!" Gamatatsu shouted.

"It might be time for you guys to go back though." Naruto told them.

"But what about snacks?" Gamatatsu protested.

"Sorry, you'll get them eventually." And with that, an upset Gamatatsu and Gamikichi poofed away.

"The supplies are probably destroyed." She told him.

"It doesn't matter, we still need to get to the spy group just in case they were ambushed." Before they could leave, a voice stopped them.

"Hidden Mist Jutsu!" Naruto gasped at the fact that Kisame wasn't down. Before he could see the Akatsuki member, the mist thickened.

"Damn it!" The blond cursed. He remembered when Zabuza had used the same technique. He remembered what Kakashi had told him, how you'll die before you even realize it.

"Byakugan!" Hinata shouted, reactivating her famed Dōjutsu. She scanned the area, attempting to find Kisame. She gasped when she saw him a few feet away, his sword raised behind an unsuspecting Naruto. "Naruto, move!" She screamed. He listened, dodging the downward swing just in time.

"You brat!" He charged at Hinata, who steadied herself on the surface of the water.

"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!" Kisame was knocked back by the defensive maneuver. At this point the mist had cleared.

"Wow, Hinata! When did you learn that?" Naruto asked in wonderment. He had only seen Neji use the technique, and figured it was just something Hinata couldn't do.

"You're not the only one who's been training." She smiled at how Naruto noticed her, but it faded quickly when Kisame stood.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" Kisame bared his teeth. He had assumed the fight would be easy, but these brats just wouldn't go down.

"Are you ready, Naruto-kun?" Hinata turned to her companion, who put a determined look on his face. A simple nod was all she needed.

"Shut up and die!" Kisame shouted. "Water Clone Jutsu!" Two Kisame's charged the twosome, keeping them back. The real one was furiously slashing away at Naruto, who seemed to dodge every single swing. A horizontal swing of the blade seemed to be a mistake when Naruto jumped onto the heavy sword. He quickly ran across its length, and planted his foot in Kisame's face as hard as he could. In the distance, Hinata almost had the clone defeated. A quick palm strike to the ribs should have been it, but the clone still wouldn't disappear. They continued to fight, until Hinata let her guard down. "Water Prison Jutsu!" Before Hinata could react, she was trapped.

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted. The distraction aided Kisame, who punched him in the face as hard as he could.

_I can't breathe! _Hinata began to panic inside the jutsu. She used her Byakugan to try and find a weak spot, but it seemed pretty solid. She calmed down, attempting to ease her racing mind. She watched, unable to do anything, as Naruto struggled against Kisame. Her mind raced as she tried to figure a way out. _I've got it! _The idea hit her like a strike to the face. "Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms!" The clone turned his head to watch a Hinata's arms darted, striking the prison with pinpoint accuracy. The prison began to glow with chakra before it burst like a bubble. A confident Hinata stood in the Gentle Fist stance where the prison once was. Naruto stared at her in wonderment, and even Kisame stopped to stare at the Hyuuga. "Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Wall Palm!" Kisame growled as his clone was destroyed.

"Who do you think you are?" He growled, completely ignoring the Uzumaki who stood mere inches away. Naruto, suddenly realizing how open the enemy was, took a few cautious steps back. Hinata watched as Naruto quietly summoned a shadow clone and began forming the Rasengan. She just needed to distract the Akatsuki member.

"Who do you think _you _are?" She returned the question, staring at the silent Uzumaki.

"I'm the guy that's about to rip your head off!" He shouted. He readied himself to charge, but before he could, he was halted by a voice.

"Rasengan!" Naruto plowed into his side, violently shooting him across the battlefield.

"Yes!" Hinata screamed in joy.

"He's not done yet." Naruto told her as a battered Kisame stood to his feet.

"You little brats!" Kisame screamed. "I'm gonna kill you!" The water began to ripple underneath him.

"He's using a lot of chakra." Hinata told Naruto.

"And now you die!" The infuriated Kisame shouted. "Water Release: A Thousand Feeding Sharks!" In an instant, a wave formed. The massive wall of water approached the two Konoha nin, who stared at it in wonderment. At first, they had thought it was water. But upon closer examination, it was actually sharks.

"Naruto." Hinata turned to the blond calmly as the wall of sharks approached. "Get behind me."

"Are you crazy?" He asked, beginning to panic.

"Just do it!" She grabbed him by the jacket and forced him behind herself. "Stay very close to me."

"Hinata what are you doing?" She ignored him as she tried to focus. Right when the sharks were about to slam into them, Hinata sprang into action.

"Protective Eight Trigrams: One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!" Hinata's hands rapidly began producing fine lines of chakra. She surrounded the two ninja with them, working rapidly. The sharks were raining down on them, but Hinata's jutsu destroyed them one by one. Naruto stared in wonderment as the force-field of chakra blades destroyed sharks by the hundreds. When the sharks stopped, Hinata released her jutsu. Kisame stared in blind rage at the still-alive ninja. His sharks should have killed them, yet here they still stood.

"This is our chance." Hinata huffed.

"What do you mean?" Naruto turned to her.

"That jutsu took a lot of chakra. We need to finish him now, before he regains it."

"How do we do that? I can't hit him with a direct attack, not with that sword of his." Naruto looked over at the Akatsuki member. He was baring his teeth and readying himself to charge.

"Do you have enough chakra left for the Rasenshuriken?" She asked.

"Just enough. But it's too risky. If I miss, we're done for." He said.

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that as strong as his blade is, it's just a sword." She turned to him. "Every sword has a weak spot."

"What are you getting at?" He stared at Hinata as she began to smile.

"I can destroy it."

"Hinata, that thing's more than a sword!" He exclaimed. "It can't just be broken!"

"Do you have a better idea? My Byakugan can see its weak spot. If I can hit it hard enough, there's a good chance I can break it, leaving him wide open for your attack." Naruto nodded, hoping it would work. She began coating her hands with chakra, until it eventually formed into the shape of lions. Naruto summoned two clones, who quickly began to form the jutsu. When they were ready, they charged. Kisame lifted his blade, anticipating Hinata's attack. "Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists!" Instead of hitting Kisame, she slammed her palms into the base of the sword, right above the hilt. Pain filled her hands as the tape was ripped away, and the blades dug themselves deep. In a desperate last move, Hinata forced everything she had into the blade. It refused to break, but Kisame was distracted. At the last second, Hinata leaped back. For Kisame, it was too late. 

"Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!" Naruto shouted as it slammed into his foes stomach. The powerful move sent Kisame spiraling away before it exploded. The blast forced the water underneath it outward, creating a giant wave on all sides of it. It swept the two ninja away and carried them a few yards. When they stood, Hinata scanned the area to see if the Akatsuki member was still alive. He wasn't.

"We did it!" She exclaimed. Naruto pulled her into a tight hug. Under normal circumstances, she would've blushed, but she didn't have the energy.

"You were amazing, Hinata-chan!" He told her, still holding her in the tight embrace. "You saved me more than once. I owe you forever, believe it!" Now she blushed.

"Hey!" A voice shouted in the distance. Naruto turned his head in time to see Kakashi, Neji, Shino, and Kurenai run up to them. "What happened here?" Kakashi asked. Realizing they were still hugging, Naruto quickly released Hinata and turned to the group.

"We got attacked by a member of the Akatsuki." Naruto told them.

"It was Itachi Uchiha's partner." Hinata added. "Kisame." Kakashi nodded, knowing who she was talking about.

"Did you eliminate the target?" Shino asked.

"Naruto-kun did." She answered.

"No!" Naruto suddenly shouted. "Hinata-chan saved my life, twice. She saw through the Hidden Mist Jutsu, she broke out of a water prison, and she used some fancy chakra blade jutsu to save us both from Kisame's giant wall of sharks." Naruto turned his head to look at the blushing girl. "She was amazing. If it wasn't for her, I would've died three times." The entire group turned to look at Hinata, who now physically resembled a tomato.

"Nice work, Hinata." Kakashi congratulated her.

"Indeed." Shino added.

"I'm very proud of you." Kurenai smiled at her student. Neji stared at his cousin, who now stared at him.

"You would've made a great clan leader." He finally told her. "You've come very far as a ninja. I'm..." Neji paused. He wasn't used to giving praise. "I'm proud of you, Hinata." Naruto almost laughed. Neji looked quite awkward being nice.

After a moment of silence, Hinata spoke. "Thank you!"

"Why did you guys come here?" Naruto asked. "We were supposed to come to you."

"When we heard a battle, we figured we had been detected. We decided it was better to leave now. Then we headed toward it, hoping to aid anyone fighting the Akatsuki. Seems you already took care of it though." Kakashi answered. "Were you the squad sent to bring our supplies?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes. But the supplies were destroyed in our battle. We failed the mission."

"Not necessarily." Shino told her.

"Why?" Naruto asked.

"Why? Because our mission is technically over, as is yours." He answered in his usual tone.

"We need to head home." Kurenai said. The sun was going down, and they had lots of ground to cover before they were back in Konoha.

"Hold on." Kakashi stopped them. "Hinata's injured. Hinata, show me your hands." Reluctantly, she pulled her hands out of her coat sleeves and showed them. Everyone winced when they saw her wounds. Her palms were cut right to the bone, and had been bleeding profusely. "How did you manage to do that?" Kakashi asked her.

"In the battle, I hit Kisame's sword." She told them. "It was a distraction, so Naruto could hit the Rasenshuriken." Kakashi turned to the blond.

"So I'm guessing you're injured too?" Kakashi asked him.

"My arm might be a little broken." He told them, sheepishly scratching his head with his okay arm. "Nothing the future Hokage can't handle!" Kakashi sighed at the boy.

"We need to get you both to Konoha." Kakashi said. "There's little we can do until we get you to the hospital." And with that, the six ninja headed home.

**Author's Note: So that's that. First, let me clear up a few things about the battle. For one, I know Kisame's sword is called Samehada. I also know it has the ability to absorb chakra. This is how he managed to do so many massive jutsu like the Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave and the Water Release: A Thousand Feeding Sharks. It was also why Hinata couldn't break the sword, despite hitting it's weak spot with a large amount of chakra. All of the chakra from her Twin Lion Fists technique was being absorbed by the blade due to it's direct contact. Also, Hinata used two moves that haven't been used by her on the anime or in the manga (to my knowledge). She used the Palms Revolving Heaven, which I chose to call Palm Rotation, and the Protective Eight Trigrams: One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms. These are two abilities that, despite not being featured where it counts, are still technically in her arsenal due to her using them in video games. I decided to use as much jutsu as I could, whether it's featured in a game, movie, anime, or manga. I wanted t make Hinata seem as strong as possible, and I think I did pretty okay. I had lots of fun writing this battle, and I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day.**

**Update: Also, I need to tell you that I'm going on vacation. I won't be updating again for a month. Sorry. But hey, at least I was nice enough to tell you!**

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